| One divisional, two sub-division offices running from rented buildings | | In 7 yrs, PDD pays more than Rs 50 lakh as rent | | G S Asgotra
Jammu, Sept 17: Power Development Department (PDD), which is under direct control of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has paid more than Rs 50 lakh as rent of three buildings in which it has set up its offices. With this amount, PDD could have raised its own buildings but owing to "poor" planning, it was not done.
Sources informed Early Times that the department had set up the office of Executive Engineer, Rehari, and two sub-division offices at Bishnah and Nai Basti in private buildings. In the last seven years, it had paid more than Rs 50 lakhs as rent to their owners, the sources added. The department has been paying a rent of nearly Rs 30,000 to the owner of Rehari building, Rs 20,000 to the Nai-Basti building owner (presently operational at Kunjwani) and Rs 10,000 to the Bishnah building owner. "Approximately Rs. 60,000 is the rent being paid by department for merely three sub divisions and in the last seven years, the department has paid nearly Rs. 50 Lakh in the form of rent", sources said. An official wishing anonymity said, "We repeatedly have been informing the department about the loss to public exchequer and appealing for creating own buildings but all in vain." He said for the last five years they were working on war footing to collect revenue from the people in Jammu division and most of it was being spent on rent. "Moreover, we are also not in a position to pay salaries to daily wagers and the compensation against the loss of lives, but it is strange that such huge amount is being paid as rent", he said, adding that already the department has been incurring losses due to increasing transmission and distribution losses, but higher officials were unmoved over the issue.
A PDD Union leader said on one hand, the department has failed to provide salaries to contractual workers, need-based workers and daily wagers, on the other it has been paying more than Rs 7 lakhs annually as a rent of house hired for the office work.
He alleged that some of the buildings taken on rent by PDD belonged to the relatives of higher-ups.
He said that there were many residential buildings in Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Trikuta Nagar and old city areas which have been taken on rent by different government departments. When contacted, PDD Executive Engineer B S Jaggi said it was the prerogative of higher officials to give approval for the construction of buildings. |
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