Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 30: Pradesh Congress Headquarters in Jammu among several commercial, residential and other complexes in the city were powerless as Power Development Department has launched a major drive against the defaulters.
So far more than 500 connections have been snapped by the PDD teams for non-payment of electricity bills in the city areas while notices have been issued to several prominent institutions, including Super Specialty Hospital Jammu for immediate payment of the electricity arrears with a warning of discontinuing connection thereof, official sources informed the Excelsior.
The massive drive for revenue collection, launched in mid of this month on the special instruction of the Government, is being monitored by the higher authority of Power Department on per day basis, sources added.
Among the complexes of which power supply was snapped during the ongoing drive, Congress Headquarters in Jammu and Government College for Women Parade are the most prominent.
Electricity connection of the PCC headquarters, which has a VIP connection and houses the offices of frontal organizations like Youth Congress, NSUI, Seva Dal and Mahila Congress, was snapped on last Friday after the party failed to deposit electricity arrears worth more than Rs 16 lakh.
According to the sources, the electricity arrears of PCC headquarters were pending for the last several years despite the fact that party has been in power in the State since 2002.
Power supply to the Congress headquarters was disconnected in February last two years back also but the same was restored after intervention of the higher authorities without depositing arrears.
However, this time, the connection was not yet restored by the PDD authorities even after three days while the matter has been brought into the notice of PCC chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz and the Minister of State for Power Vikar Rasool, who belongs to Congress party, sources informed.
Sources said that some senior leaders and PCC office bearers who are regular visitor to the office, are not attending the PCC headquarters while no activity has been organized in the complex during the last three days as electric fans are rendered non-functional due to power failure.
Even as the PDD authorities described the power disconnection of PCC headquarters as a part of the ongoing drive against the defaulters, a Congress leader alleged that the action was consequence of the widening fissures between the ruling coalition partners. “Why the action has been taken only against Congress office whereas arrears of the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan (NC headquarters in Jammu) are more?” he asked.
On the other hand, PDD sources made it clear that the ongoing drive for revenue realization would continue till March 31 and electricity connections of all the defaulters will be snapped irrespective of the ownership or political affiliation.
More than 100 connections were snapped in the Bus Stand area only today for non-payment of electricity bills, sources informed adding that the ratio of commercial and household defaulters was almost equal.
Notices are being served to the defaulting Government departments asking them to clear the electricity bills or face disconnection, sources said adding that Super Specialty Hospital Jammu owes more than Rs 16 lakh arrears since April last.
A notice has been served to the hospital while the SSH administration is taking up the matter with higher authorities for concession on time of depositing the arrears, sources added.
Similarly, the GCW Parade that owed Rs 5 lakh as arrears to PDD, has also taken up the matter with the higher authorities.
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