Inquiry report exposes failings in Meghalaya's power sector, urges overhaul of MeECL
Guwahati: An independent inquiry committee has highlighted major issues in Meghalaya’s power sector, pointing to a lack of competence in the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Ltd (MePGCL) and calling for a complete overhaul of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) and its three subsidiaries, The Shillong Times reported.
The report, headed by retired Justice RN Mishra, was submitted by the committee in March 2022 but released to the public only on November 10.
The committee examined procurement practices, Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses, and human resource management, uncovering long-standing issues dating back to the unbundling of the Meghalaya State Electricity Board in 2013.
A key observation is MePGCL’s inability to efficiently plan, design, and execute hydroelectric projects, evidenced by the significant time and cost overruns in the Leshka and Ganol projects, which limited their benefits.
The report stresses that fully utilising Meghalaya’s hydro potential could make the state power-surplus and enable electricity exports to Bangladesh.
The report also flagged high AT&C losses in the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (MePDCL), currently around 32%, above the Ministry of Power’s 22.3% target.
While the IPDS scheme reduced losses in Shillong and Tura to single digits, experts consider the overall figure “unsustainable” given expected power demand growth.
The committee noted structural flaws in the operations of MePGCL, MePTCL (Transmission), and MePDCL (Distribution), which still function as a single entity in several areas.
Shared human resources, finance, and material management, along with a common board under MeECL, limit specialised expertise in generation, transmission, and distribution.
To address these issues, the committee recommended granting true functional autonomy to each subsidiary with independent boards and financial powers, creating dedicated workforces to develop specialised skills, and implementing targeted training and recruitment.
The report also called for the introduction of a fully functional IT department and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to improve efficiency, as well as clear and transparent procurement policies.
While the committee praised MeECL’s efforts in electrifying remote villages, it emphasized that resolving legacy problems is essential for the long-term stability and growth of Meghalaya’s power sector.
The state government now faces the challenge of implementing these recommendations to secure a sustainable energy future.