MLA studies power situation at border villages

Mungchan Zimik
Ukhrul, Feb 23 : A team comprising of Ukhrul AC MLA Alfred Arthur Kanngam and Executive Director (ED) of MSPCL Shantikumar including staff visited the eastern border villages under Kamjong district and took stock of the power situation in the region yesterday.
The visiting team interacted with the villagers of Zingsui, Mapum and Pushing in order to ascertain the condition of electric supply and understand their grievances.
The villagers expressed resentment against the Power Department while highlighting their plight and questioned the department in their service to the rural people.
According to Zingsui villagers, a transformer was installed on Feb 17, 2020, and consequently charging and heating of transformer continued for 2-3 days while LT wiring began from February 19.
The villagers said that unattended naked wires remain scattered in and around the village creating panic among the villagers and added that this need to be taken care of immediately.
After listening to their grievances, the MLA pacified the angry villagers and spelt out the objectives of their visit to village.
He said that the MSPCL officers have come to study and listen to the voice of the people in order to provide better service and extend regular power supply to the villages.
ED Shantikumar urged the villagers to forget past errors and  added that they have come to bring rural electrification and sought the support and cooperation of the villagers in the process of electrifying their village in due time.
The aggrieved villagers also highlighted the expenditure incurred,  the labour that went into erecting the electric poles, HT wiring etc without any payment.
Headman of Mapum village AS Wungchan said that although the fitting for power transmission from grid to transformer was completed and installed in 2014, low tension power line for supply of electricity to the respective consumers is yet to be initiated.
The Executive Director assured that LT wiring for consumer connection would be completed within two weeks and added that free connection would be given to every BPL family.
Shantikumar added that officers concerned of Kamjong district have already started collecting the electrical equipments and materials from MSPCL depot, Imphal and would reach the respective villages within 2-3 days for LT line fixing for total electrification.
He said that Power Department has invested their maximum effort to electrify the villages, but the shortage of manpower and deplorable road condition has hindered and delayed their work progress in the past year.
He further said that in order to ease power shortage, the 1 KVA Kamjong power sub-station has been upgraded  to 3.15 KVA and another 33/11 KV would be installed shortly.
As a good gesture the Executive Director handed over LED light to village Headmen as special gifts for distribution to the villagers.