Govt looking for private investors to run MCCL in PPP mode: Conrad K Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday told the Assembly that despite infusing Rs 350 crore of funds, the state's oldest cement company MCCL could not be revived forcing the government to look for private investors to run it in a PPP mode.

The Mawmluh Cherra Cement Ltd (MCCL) is the oldest public sector undertaking unit and is the only state-owned cement plant set up in the early 1960s (then undivided Assam) in limestone rich Sohra but has lately suffered making it a loss-making enterprise.

"Since 2006 till date, Rs 350 crore has been infused into the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited and in the last five years alone Rs 100 crore has been infused, mostly to pay salaries and other dues," the CM said during Question Hour.

"With so much investment, we are not able to revive it. For the government to continue investing in it may not be possible," he said, adding that the PPP mode is what the government is eyeing presently.

Stating that the government is pushed to "look at options", the chief minister said the government does not want to "close it down" as a concern about the employees.

According to the chief minister, apart from looking into the affairs of the MCCL, the government has also infused an additional Rs 1,000 crore in MeELC which was why the government went for option of a PPP mode to get private investors.

While informing that not many interested players participated in the EoI, Sangma said the government will decide after scrutinising all documents to see that the project goes in the right direction.

Meanwhile, in another reply, the chief minister informed the House that the government has sanctioned Rs 60 crore for beautification of 2,000 ICDS centres across the state.

"Out of the 5,613 ICDS centres in the state, we have surveyed and inspected 3,461 and we have immediately made programmes and plans to beautify 2,000 buildings under the Early Child Development Mission, a 40 million USD programme funded by ADB, in convergence with the MGNREGA," he said.