Dimapur, May 27 (MExN): The Naga Council of Dimapur today exposed what it has strongly implied is underhanded dealings of the Government of Nagaland that has led to the current situation of extreme outage and shortage of electricity across the state. The allegations include the government ordering the State’s power authority not to draw more power because penalty has already been imposed on the State for ‘over-drawing power’ – and that too, after incurring an expenditure of Rs. 4 crore in the past two months.
A press release received here today from the Naga Council of Dimapur called the deception of the government ‘absolutely unacceptable.’ The organization has also disclosed that the only thermal power plant located in Dimapur turned out worthless because the government could not pay the second installment for the entire set of machinery ordered all the way from Finland. This, the council disclose, is despite the fact that the entire lot of infrastructure, including staff quarters, ‘did come up in the last 10 years.’
“It is absolutely unacceptable that the Government of Nagaland do not want to pay money to the power-grid authorities who oversee the drawing of electricity by all the states through their grids and this is the reason why the state, especially Dimapur is experiencing a harrowing time,” the Naga Council stated. The press release was appended by general secretary Ntsemo Ngullie and finance secretary Joel Nillo Kath.
The council said that the government of Nagaland had already incurred an expenditure of Rs. 4 crore in the past two months for over-drawing power, i.e., over and above Nagaland’s quota of 40 MW. “Once a State over-draws its quota, it attracts penalty imposed by the power-grid plus the state has to pay a much higher tariff. This, the government has already paid once and thus the present power failure is a case of once bitten, twice shy,” the Naga Council stated.
Government believes that Rs. 4 Crore has already made a dent in its pocket and hence, strict instructions have been conveyed to the Chief Engineer’s office that under no circumstances the state electricity department is to overdraw power, the statement said.
Considering the colossal loss of business running into crores and the plight of the old, aged, children and the public in the past one month, the council said, the government should not feel that Rs. 4 crore is a huge amount.
The government has moral obligations to care for its citizens, the council reminded.
“Practically, all business activities in Dimapur have come to a standstill and the people are suffering from the blistering heat. Dimapur itself, during peak hours needs approx. 75 MW of energy whereas the actual supply for the whole state is a pathetic 40MW.”
The organization also referred to Nagaland State’s “soldout” project, the Doyang Hydro electricity project which produces 75 MW but none of it goes to Nagaland! Likewise, the council referred to the Zinki-Tizu, set to produce 110 MW of power but almost met the same fate as Doyang thanks to the “machinations of Nagaland’s Power department.
The council said the company NEEPCO could not accept the terms for sharing power with Nagaland. “Predictably, the project did not get off the ground. The only thermal power plant of the state located in Dimapur is a total washout. The whole set of machinery was ordered from Finland after payment of 1st installment but could not shipped to Nagaland due to non-payment of next installment despite the fact that the whole lot of infrastructure, including staff quarters did come up in the last 10 years. Again, Crores of rupees have been wasted,” the organization stated.
The only ‘bright light’ in this whole saga is that only VVVIP quarters are fully illuminated and generator dealers are “laughing all the way to the bank,” the council said.
“The concerned department should be grateful that Naga public are the most docile, when it comes to defending their rights. Had this been the case in Assam or even Manipur, things would not have been so rosy,” the organization added.
