NEC bill unpaid for more than 8 months, Moya and Salomi VCs claim
Kiphire, January 27 (MExN): The Moya and Salomi village councils (VC) under Pungro sub division, Kiphire have questioned the Department of Power, Nagaland with regard to non-payment of bills for the Likimro Hydro Electric Project (LHEP).
“…it is learned that NEC Company bill for the past more than eight (8) months is not paid by the Department/Government,” K Asang Yim, Chairman of Moya VC and Korakmong Yim, chairman of Salomi VC along with M Thsesong Yimchunger, former Head GB Moya Village and former president YTC/ Advisor ENPO stated in an open letter to the Engineer-in-Chief on Wednesday.
The project, which falls under the Moya and Salomi village jurisdiction is reportedly being run by NEC since 2006 and provides power at cheap rates, according to the letter. The current rate for power generated from the LHEP is at Rs 1.52 per KwH (including all expenditure) as against the department’s rate of Rs 5-6 per KwH.
It also highlighted that the project has benefited the people in the Pungro Sub-division by way of various contract works for maintenance of the project. “In fact, it has become an employment source for our people,” it added.
Terming it as ‘the only successful running project of the Power Department under Nagaland Government’, the letter questioned as to why the department had not paid the company bill for more than 8 months.
It also stated that the State Power department has not released the payments although the Department of Finance has released the same up to the month of September 2020, as per a copy of the expenditure sanction for operation and maintenance of LHEP issued on December 8, 2020, which they claimed, was collected from ‘reliable sources’.
The letter noted past incidents where the Department had allegedly withheld amount payable towards operation and maintenance, despite release of such amounts by the Department of Finance.
They sought the Engineer in Chief’s intervention in releasing the payments at the earliest so that the company can continue to supply power.
Asserting that the project lies under the Yimchunger land and in the ENPO area, they cautioned that such attitude of the government would not be tolerated.
They requested the Department to release the payments due to the company within 7 days, failing which the matter would be taken up legally and also with the Government of India.
