The way the government is adopting dual standards in dealing with the entities not paying their electricity bills in time is something that raises eyebrows. In the case of a common man, the concerned department gives a very short window period to pay the bill and soon after that the electricity connection is snapped with a claim that there is a provision in smart meters to cut the supply automatically.
The big question now is why the same smart meters allow continuation of the power supply to various government departments and security establishments despite their pending bills crossing the crores of rupees mark? This disparity raises questions about whether smart meter policies are being implemented uniformly across all consumers, or if certain exemptions or administrative practices are allowing government departments to continue receiving power despite significant outstanding dues. This kind of double standard adopted by the government raises big questions about accountability and transparency.
Reportedly, the J&K Government has informed the Assembly that there was an outstanding Rs 3747.3542 crore power dues of all its departments. The Power Development Department should clarify how it has allowed power connections to continue for the defaulter departments when it doesn’t spare common people even if their dues cross the Rs 1000 mark. It is necessary that the government should cut the supplies of all such departments that have failed to pay their electricity bills in the interest of fairness. The action should also be initiated against the officials of the PDD for not ensuring timely payments by the aforesaid departments.
To be more precise, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has emerged as the single largest defaulter, with dues amounting to Rs 1,30,043 lakh, followed by the Irrigation and Flood Control department at Rs 58,059.72 lakh. Among security agencies, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) owes Rs 29,638.45 lakh, while the Army has pending dues of Rs 19,719.94 lakh and the Border Security Force (BSF) Rs 1,116.87 lakh. The Home department has accumulated dues of Rs 22,306.46 lakh, while the housing and urban development department stands at Rs 14,449.47 lakh. The power development department itself has outstanding liabilities of Rs 10,756.53 lakh, and the Power Development Corporation Rs 2,277.51 lakh.
Though these liabilities don’t mean that individual consumers should not pay their bills but the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is Incharge of the PDD should act strictly against the departments having pending electricity dues of lakhs of rupees as non-payment of bills by the aforesaid departments does affect the services and common man has to suffer despite paying bills on time, which is a grave injustice.
