Meghalaya Local Writes to Power Minister on 'Faulty Power Billing System' of FEDCO

Shillong, January 28, 2020:

The Anti-Corruption and Human Development Organisation (ACHDO), Chibinang of West Garo Hills has urged Meghalaya Power Minister James K Sangma to take immediate action on the faulty power billing system of FEDCO with increased rate of interest. ­­

It has also requested the Power Minister to discontinue power distribution by FEDCO Ltd, a private power distribution company following the latter’s step to completely shut power for the entire villages in Phulbari subdivision.

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President of ACHDO, Ishraful Hoque, has written to the Power Minister directing his attention to the faulty power billing system. In his letter addressed to the Minister, he stated, “…FEDCO under Phulbari Sub-Division has resorted to complete shutdown of power supply to one village after village without any prior notice to the consumers. It is also surprising that the consumers, who had cleared their bills up-to-date, were also subjected to such deprivation of uninterrupted power supply.”

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Hoque also pointed out that FEDCO had been charging more interest than the actual bill. “…We are all aware of the fact that every year, at least a month remains complete shutdown of power supply in plain areas due to either inclement weather or perennial floods and we are most suffered for poor (irregular) power supply and for many such reasons consumers did not pay bills regularly. We wish the way MePDCL/FEDCO is forcing the consumers to pay the outstanding bills, in same way it should take responsibility for uninterrupted power supply.

The letter alleged that FEDCO was taking signatures and thumb impressions from consumers on blank Indian non-judicial stamp papers and “…the consumer is completely clueless as what they write on such blank judicial papers.”

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The ACHDO president has urged the Power Minister to take a serious note on the matter of FEDCO and adopt necessary measures to resume power supply in the villages of Phulbari sub-division.

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