Possibility of Ministers’ bungalows on essential feeders not ruled out
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 26: The aggregate commercial and technical losses in almost all the parts of winter capital including the areas inhabited by the businessmen, industrialists and other elite sections of the society have been burgeoning and causing huge revenue loss to the State exchequer because of the strong nexus between those indulging in power thefts and field functionaries of the Power Development Department (PDD).
These startling revelations have come to fore during the detailed analysis conducted recently on the directions of top brass of the Department. Taking this seriously, the Government has directed the Chief Engineer, M&RE, Jammu, Shahnaz Goni to go tough not only against those indulging in power thefts but also against the erring officials of the Department.
“The intensity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that M-2 Feeder providing electricity supply to Rajpora, Bakshi Nagar and Krishna Nagar has aggregate commercial and technical losses of 79 %”, sources told EXCELSIOR quoting the outcome of the analysis.
Similarly, M-3 feeder, which covers New Plots, Sarwal and adjoining areas has aggregate commercial and technical losses to the tune of 87 %, sources said, adding “the situation is also worrisome even in the posh localities like Gandhi Nagar and Channi Himmat where such losses are to the tune of 60 % and 78 % respectively”.
“The losses of the feeder providing electricity to Residency Road area where majority of the electricity consumers are business establishments have been worked out to the tune of 77 %”, sources said, adding “this indicates that even businessmen, industrialists and other elite sections of the society are also resorting to power thefts in connivance with the officials of the Power Development Department”.
It is pertinent to mention here that non-metering of entire energy consumed, non-calculation of entire consumed energy and non-realization of revenue of entire consumed energy form the aggregate commercial and technical losses.
“The prevailing scenario vis-à-vis aggregate commercial and technical losses is a serious issue especially when there is already huge gap between energy supplied and the revenue realization”, sources said, adding “PDD is purchasing electricity at the average rate of Rs 7.61 per unit and supplying the power to consumers at the rate of Rs 2.85 per unit”.
Taking the outcome of detailed analysis seriously, the Government has issued directions to the Chief Engineer EM&RE, Jammu Shahnaz Goni to go tough not only against the erring consumers but also against the officials of the Department, who had or have been encouraging power theft for their personal pecuniary benefits at the cost of Government exchequer.
While issuing directions to the Chief Engineer, the Government has made it clear that senior officers of the Department would be monitoring the steps to be taken to bring down the aggregate commercial and technical losses on day to day basis.
“Those people, who are resorting to various tactics to avoid exact consumed energy recorded in the meters, should also mend their ways as being citizen of the State they too have a role to play in getting the illegalities checked”, sources said, adding “even the representatives of the people like Mohalla presidents, ward presidents and MLAs have a greater role to play in creating awareness among the people against indulging in power theft”.
In response to a question, sources said, “there are also reports that connections of Ministers’ and other influential politicians’ bungalows have been put on essential feeders in order to appease them”, adding “there are also inputs that parallel connections have been provided to some Ministers’ bungalows so that even in case of snapping of electricity from one line they don’t feel the heat”.
It is worthwhile to mention here that essential feeders are meant for providing uninterrupted power supply to hospitals, PHE stations, main administrative offices like that of Divisional Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner etc.
“The prevailing scenario can be made very transparent if the Government as well as the civil society collectively play their own role”, they said, adding “while the Government has to tighten noose around those officials, who have been encouraging power theft, the civil society has to generate awareness among the people against adopting illegal means to use power”.
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