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DCP Asgar Ali warns to plunge Katra in darkness if electricity bills not paid on time
I have nothing to do with Omar Abdullah
11/1/2014 12:20:48 AM
Ajay Sharma

Early Times Report

Katra, Oct 31: The holy town of Katra is likely to face the power crisis as the Power Development Department is all set to crack its whip on the defaulters of electricity bills which in certain cases have swollen to lacs of rupees pending against many people.
This has brought a great resentment amongst the people of the town that are caught on the wrong foot by the department which has started sending notices to the defaulters to pay the bills or face the guillotine.
While some of the consumers who had approached the officials in the Power Development Department for saving the situation were returned back with a warning that if they fail to abide by the payment of the electricity bills, their connections would be snapped leaving entire Katra town in dark.
The Divisional Engineer Reasi Rajan Gupta to whom the aggrieved approached with their plea said that there was no need of sending the notice to the defaulters as the bills send to them itself serves as the notice.
When approached, Development Commissioner Power Asgar Ali said,'' The Divisional Engineer is new to this process and knows little about the notices to be served to the people. This is an important process and has to be done to bring the defaulters to the notice of the department".
Junior Engineer Arun Gupta to whom the people later approached for the reprise was given the rude shock.
He misbehaved with the people and warned that entire Katra town would be engulfed into the darkness if the defaulters do not pay the bills as per the schedule.
When the people said that it was the fault of the meter reader who used to take bribe every month to tamper with the bills and the process have been in place since many years.
They were of the opinion that the defaulters In Valley should be booked first who have not been paying the electricity bills at all and were being provided round the clock facility.
Their claim was overpowered by Arun Gupta who lambasted back with fury to the agitating people who alos admitted to pay the bills in installments if the department makes such provisions.
It was due to the timely intervention of Assistant executive Engineer Rahul Dev that the situation was brought under control who pacified Arun Gupta and asked the people to go back with an assurance that their plea would be given due audience.
It is pertinent to mention here that when the deputation as well as this reporter contacted the Development Commissioner power Asgar Ali for redemption of the grievance with a plea that since elections are nearing and cutting off of the electricity would bring bad reputation to the coalition government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that Afghar Ali retorted musingly
"I have nothing to do with chief minister Omar Abdullah. Elections do not matter for us. This is my department and I would take my own decisions whether to give electricity or not. If the dues are not paid well in time, the station would be closed and electricity shut down in the town," warned Afghar Ali.
Vijay Kumar, Rajeev Paroch, Ajay Kumar, Sonu Sharma and Neeraj Paroch had gone to the department with the plea.
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