Shillong, Mar 26 : Holding the past Governments of being responsible for the power crisis and malfunctioning of public health centres (PHCs), the two new Meghalaya ministers who have been assigned the charge of the Ministry of Power and the Health and Family Welfare Ministry came out with their respective assurances to improve the functioning of their respective departments.
During the second day of the Budget session, the Opposition was quick to pull the Government on the malfunctioning of the two departments. Kick-starting with erratic power supply in the State, the Opposition led by Charles Pyngrope and RC Laloo questioned the seven-day-old Government on the power crisis and load shedding.
Even as Opposition members demanded of the Government to have a vision document on development of power potential and the need to enter into a joint venture to tap the 3000 MW power potential in the State, Minister of Power Conrad Sangma was apt in blaming the past Governments in the State for the present shortfall in power.
Sangma, in his admission, said the State is short of hydel power by another 300 MW, and pointed out at the Government’s initiatives to reap the State’s power potential during the 11th and 12th Plan period. Referring to the 0.5 feet daily depletion of water from the main electricity power generated reservoir — the Umiam lake, the State Power Minister stated on the floor of the House that there is a need to implement short-term as well as long-term plans to stabilize power supply.
He named seven power projects with an approximate power generation of 471.05 MW scheduled to be completed by the 11th plan and another 14 projects with a capacity of 977 MW during the 12th plan being the projects that should make the State self-sufficient in power supply.
Even as he stopped short of telling the House that the State’s deal with multinational power developers will be as scrapped, the new Power Minister said that the power deal that has evoked protest from political parties and NGOs is under examination.
“The first report of the committee examining the power deal is being assessed by the Chief Secretary”, stated Sangma, adding, “any decision on the joint venture to tap the power potential of the State will be decided accordingly”.
As Conrad Sangma managed to force the Opposition to withdraw the cut motion, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr A Pariong found his reply to the cut motion taken smoothly by the Opposition.
The Opposition was literally pouncing on the Health Minister on the poor state of affairs in the State’s public health centres (PHCs). The debate on the cut motion witnessed the entire Opposition pulling the Health Minister. However, Dr Pariong, a medical practitioner till last year and a minister now, managed to scrap through by stating that “the grievances will be addressed”.
ST
