Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the government will have to spend an additional Rs 300 crore to buy power if the prevailing situation continues for next 100 days.
Speaking to reporters in Shillong, Sangma said, “On an average in the last two years, the government is spending approximately Rs 600 crore of the state’s revenue to pay for different expenditures including purchase of power from MeECL’s point of view to maintain the kind of power that we have today.”
“We are purchasing close to Rs 3 crore of power every day even now considering the kind of scenario we are facing today. Hence, if the situation continues in the next 100 days, we will be spending an additional of Rs 300 crore just to buy power, just to maintain this level the loadshedding that we have,” he said.
The CM also informed, “The situation is very complicated but we are doing our best to ensure that the load shedding doesn’t go beyond this.”
Sangma said that Umiam power project is almost at a point of shutting down as the state has not been receiving the required rainfall in the past few months adding this has been one of the most difficult months in terms of rain for the state.
He said that the power scenario is also bad in most parts of the country today.
“Almost every state is facing similar crisis which we are facing. That’s because as I said the rains are affecting everybody and the overall scenario is bad everywhere.”
The chief minister said the government is augmenting its measures and solar measure will be one of those measures to address power crisis but it will take time.
“But as we move forward I am hopeful that in the next two-three years we will see more inputs from the solar power into the decentralised system of the houses and homes which we can then have it on solar as a backup.”
He said the government is also working very closely with the thermal producing plants because “we are keen that now that licenses for mining are being given, we are hopeful that we are able to start the thermal plants also and that maybe a long term solution that we may see in the next 3-4 years’ time.”
“So we are taking some very strong steps towards it but yes these few months we had in the past and the current time also is very difficult for us. I won’t hesitate in saying that this is one of the most difficult times that MeECL has faced because of multiple aspects,” he said.