Meghalaya govt compromising India’s national security, providing backdoor to Chinese
Shillong: Meghalaya govt compromising India’s national security, providing backdoor to Chinese. The Meghalaya government is compromising India’s national security by providing a back door to the Chinese.
This allegation was made by senior TMC leader Sakit Gokhale.
Gokhale alleged that the new smart electricity meters installed in households in Meghalaya are a threat to national security, as the meters are being manufactured by a Chinese company.
The TMC leader has written a letter to Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Priston Tinsang expressing “concerns regarding the Meghalaya government’s smart electricity meter project”.
“This letter pertains to an urgent matter of national security in the context of smart meters being implemented by Meghalaya Government and MECL through contractor M/s Satnam Global,” the letter said.
It further states: “The smart meters supplied by the contractor are manufactured by lnhemeter, a China-based company headquartered at 8/F & 9/F, 1A, Software Park, Southern High. Located in Tech Zone, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China.”
He said that these smart electricity meters being installed in Meghalaya have a SIM card that connects them to the telecom/internet network.
In the letter, Sakit Gokhale added: “On 23.07.2020, the Government of India vide Notification No. F.No.6/18/2019-PPD issued an amendment to the General Financial Rules, 2017 which made the bidders from those countries banned those who share the land.border with India on grounds of national security.
“However, it appears prima facie that the Meghalaya government found a way to circumvent the rules by offering the contract to Satnam Global (an Indian company) and allowing them to purchase smart meters from China. Which is a violation of the Government of India’s national security rules,” Gokhale said.
The TMC leader further cited media reports that “China’s state-backed hackers are conducting cyber attacks and shutting down power infrastructure in other countries as part of cyber warfare”.
