Shillong, Sep 7: The National People’s Party (NPP) said that it is ironic that the Congress party is using the word ‘privatisation’.
NPP Spokesperson, Nickey Nongkhlaw alleged that in 2017, when the Congress was in power, Dr. Mukul Sangma came the closest to privatise MeECL when he signed deals with Renew Joule Private Ltd. to take away the power department’s mandate of setting up power plants.
According to Nongkhlaw, Dr. Sangma targeted Ri-Bhoi district, Mendipathar and Ampati for this privatisation deal.
“In the same year, he signed deals with ETA Star Infrastructure Ltd, Brijraj Power Metallics Ltd and MSGC Power Ltd for taking away small thermal power projects of MeECL and handing them over to these private companies. Mukul gave away a huge amount of MeECL’s money to these companies, literally making the department crippled with debt. When members of the society raised concerns on this move of Mukul, only then he called off the deals after already causing the required damage to the department. What sort of an arrangement did Mukul have with these private players? Why did he use MeECL’s money for a private deal?†the NPP spokesperson said.
On Zenith Sangma’s recent allegation that the MeECL was leasing its assets to private entities, and his statement on NITCON, the NPP said that it is simply laughable.
“It’s amusing how Zenith in his statement himself recognises the NITCON as a public sector undertaking (PSU), and in the same breath says that the government is leasing away assets to private bodies. Does he not know the difference between a PSU, which is government-owned, and a private entity? Perhaps he needs help in knowing the difference between the two so that next time he appears in the media, at least he is somewhat aware,†Nongkhlaw added.
He NPP Spokesperson said that the NPP-led government had invited all stakeholders in the past, including the opposition Congress party, to have a dialogue so that a roadmap could be charted out to make MeECL financially viable.
But the Congress refused to have any form of constructive engagement, despite knowing that the current financial constraints of MeECL is a problem created by the Mukul Sangma-led Congress itself. Is the Congress party only good at mindless criticism and corruption?
Nongkhlaw also added that If Dr. Sangma and his brother cannot have a constructive engagement, the government does not need lectures from them.
“As power hungry as these two brothers are, perhaps it is time for them to introspect into their positions in the party, which is anyway struggling to hold itself together due to the severe infighting and internal power struggles. There is a reason why the Congress party is being wiped off the map of India,†Nongkhlaw added.