EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Jan 12: Installing traffic light signals in Jammu may or may not have provided any relief and benefit to Jammuites but it certainly has landed Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in a bit of financial trouble.
With the fixing of lights, the JMC is facing revenue losses since Traffic Police Depart-ment, the main agency, has disowned its responsibility of paying power tariff for the electricity being consumed by the signals in city.
Sources informed that the civic body has been paying Rs 2200 for each traffic signal and there are 30 points in city where the lights have been functioning since August 2012. They further said, "Monthly, the JMC has to pay Rs 66,000 and so far since lights are functioning the amount of power consumption has reached Rs 3,30,000.
Responsibility of further maintenance and power tariff lies with Traffic police as the revenue which is being generated from signal jumpers is going to the Traffic Police department."
They further informed that due to lack of funds the payment of electricity bills is getting delayed. "Due to non-availability of funds the power bills of five months since August 2012 are lying un-paid within the Corporation. For the payment of same JMC, has approached the Traffic Police department," they added.
When contacted, DIG (Traffic) Jammu, Shakeel Ahmed Beig acknowledged and said that the maintenance of lights and payment of power tariff is not the responsibility of Traffic Police. "The fine which the department is realizing from the traffic rule violators, are being deposited in State Treasury. We can't pay the power tariff" he said. |
