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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) today threatened to drag the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and the state administration to court, if power is not restored within a week across hamlets.

According to a letter written by the TMC Spokesperson – Saket Gokhale and addressed to the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister-in-charge of Power – Prestone Tynsong, the electricity has been denied across villages due to few “defaulters”.

“I have been apprised of a shocking and inhuman tactic employed by the state government and the MeECL against poor villagers. Numerous reports and first-hand accounts have said that MeECL denied electricity to an entire village, when a few villagers are late in paying their power bills. Even when the majority of villagers have paid their bills, the main electricity transformer to the village is shut down on the grounds that a handful of villagers have not made payments.” – the letter states.

Demanding immediate power restoration, the TMC Spokesperson asserted that denying villagers power who have already paid their bills on time is “not only atrocious but a criminal act of collectively punishing all villagers for the default of a few households.”

“In case, action is not taken immediately and the situation is not rectified, the Meghalaya Government and MeECL would be made respondents in petitions at the appropriate judicial forums, including the Meghalaya High Court,” – the letter further reads.

Taking to Twitter, Gokhale wrote “Important: In #Meghalaya this week & found a shocking barbaric practice of CM @SangmaConrad‘s BJP-allied govt. Govt of Meghalaya shuts down electricity to an ENTIRE village even if 1 or 2 villagers fail to pay their bills. Some villages haven’t had power for 2 months!”

“Govt shuts off main electricity transformer even when 10 people in a village of 300 haven’t paid their bills I’ve written to Power Min on this. I appeal to you ALL to not ignore what happens in our North-East & raise your voice” – he further added.

Govt shuts off main electricity transformer even when 10 people in a village of 300 haven't paid their bills

I've written to Power Min on this.

I appeal to you ALL to not ignore what happens in our North-East & raise your voice & tag @SangmaConrad

cc: @ShillongTimesIn

(2/2) pic.twitter.com/imJB1fYJdU

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) July 22, 2022