B N Dhar
No doubt Jammu and Kashmir is rich in hydropower potential. Of course, the State Government is determined to harness the every unit of power potential for generation to become the self reliant in this vast revenue yielding sector. But the will power of the Government to tape the power losses is very conspicuously missing. Authorities of Power Development Department at the helm of affairs have to ponder over the reasons behind the huge losses either at Government or consumer’s level. In absence of the will power to curb the power losses not only seems impracticable but impossible as the hawks in the department are keenly watching , will not allow plugging the loop wholes in distribution of power to the different categories of consumers because their unjustified income will be at stake. Of course, the State Government has taken several measures to minimize the power losses at different levels, which includes installation of electronic digital meters.
This decision of the Government did not fructify desired results as the process was at the snail’s pace. May be there would have been certain administrative or financial constraints, which obviously were lately taken care of and the process of installation of meters was set in motion under the previous term of the National conference regime, but the grit to check the power pilferage was nowhere, with the result the power losses have assumed a magnificent proportions , if not checked at this point of time will pose an alarming situation in the times to come. Time is ripe now, the Government will have to take stringent measures to set right the power sector in order to make it an obstruct free revenue generating one, otherwise may prove counterproductive with people turning hostile against any reformatory step if taken by the government at later stage in future. And surely, you will agree the consumer has always been looking for options benefiting them .
Here are some reasons for power theft and let’s deliberate over these and suggest measures to get rid from them. Mainly, the field staff of the department itself encourages the consumer for power theft. You see most of the areas have been metered but the power theft still exists. The meters installed have been kept unsealed which paves way for the field staff to mint money from the consumers at the cost of state exchequer resulting in huge revenue loss as the major chunk of money goes to the pockets of the field staff that too very openly. Field staff is used to collect the money from the consumers on monthly basis in lieu of unsealed meters
Need of the hour is to thoroughly debate the issue and necessary measures to check the power pilferage are to be put in place very early. See, the field staff clandestinely permits the unsealed meter consumer to run air conditioner and other gadgets without paying the required fee as per meter reading . He, himself collects Rs.2500/- to Rs.3000/-from the consumer for Air Conditioners which goes un-noticed. Of course, the common man does not pay for electricity in comparison to other facilities like telephone usages. This all happens due to the malafied intentions of the field staff, otherwise the consumer will not dare to tinker with the meter etc etc . See the same customer/consumer avails the services of several mobile providers and pays regularly with accuracy for availed service, because the mechanism adopted by service providers does not allow letting the customer to go scot free in paying the charges. Time has come to introduce the system of conducting surprise checking of different areas with strict categorical orders to the concerned lower and field staff including meters readers and linemen that all the meters installed should properly be sealed and during surprise checking if any meter found unsealed, dismissal of the concerned meter reader and the lineman will be inevitable. Such a step will ensure the proper utilization of power and obviously, power theft will also come down considerably and the low revenue realization will automatically increase to the targeted level of the Government.
Need of the hour is also to detect and identify the illegal power connections existing at random in the whole State with the connivance of field staff and get them registered forthwith in consonance with their load so that the malpractices are stopped .This goal could only be achieved by visiting different areas of urban and rural areas under the supervision of concerned AEEs or some sincere designated officers.
Besides, some special additional power connections provided to the high profile persons of the power department are also required to brought under the purview of surprise checks. To make the department virtually a true revenue yielding Organization, the authorities need to arrive at a firm decision, to exhibit firmness and undertake intensive surprise checks and do the needful. This will, definitely, not only serve the purpose for which the proposed surprise checks have been suggested but on the other hand will discourage the bad elements of the field staff who are busy in extracting money from the consumers that too at the cost of the state commodity.
At the same time, it is also urged upon the general public to shun the path of alluring unjustified soups (which otherwise we shall say is a crime) and wake up to the call of the time and discourage the practice of payment to the field staff of the power department in lieu of the Government commodity. Field staff of the department is not only responsible but people paying are equally responsible for encouraging such malpractices. If we think with a cool mind, it goes against the tenets of religion and principles of humanity, as on the one way we pay whatever least amount to the Government but on the other hand we also pay the persons who are inimical to our overall development. Moreover, isn’t our duty to share our responsibility in contributing our mite in securing the future of our posterity to come as a responsible citizen?.
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