| Not common masses, Govt Deptts main power defaulters in JK | | |
Early Times Report
srinagar, Dec 20: Government might be blaming the common people for power woes, it is actually its departments, and big industrialists who are main defaulters of power in Jammu and Kashmir.
The domestic consumers, industrialists, and government departments have an outstanding of around Rs 1,500 crore in Kashmir on account of power tariff.
"Most of the dues are pending with government departments," the official said.
Among the departments, Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Public Health Engineering Department have highest arrears of over Rs 400 crore. Following which, the Home Department has an outstanding of around Rs 100 crore. This includes the pending dues of the central reserve forces, which the State Home Department has to pay under Security Related Expenditure of forces operating in the valley, the PDD official said.
The Housing and Urban Development Department, the official said has arrears of over Rs 40 crore, followed by Roads and Building Department of around Rs 12 crore. The Hospitality Protocol Department and Agriculture Department have an outstanding of over Rs 10 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively.
Similarly, Revenue and Rehabilitation Department has outstanding of around Rs 4 crore. An official of the Power Development Department, said that this issue has already been raised with the heads of these departments to pay outstanding power tariff.
"The departmental heads said that they are not able to clear arrears due to financial constraints," the official said. "We have now decided to write to General Administration Department so that government could allot additional funds to these departments for paying electricity dues," he added.
"If people use electricity judiciously and pay as per the consumption then there won't be power cuts. We are trying to adhere the curtailment schedule as approved by the government," the official of the PDD, said. At the same time, the PDD has been spending hundreds of crores on power purchase.
As per official figures, during 2011-12, Rs 3761.52 crore were spent on power purchases.
In 2012-13 expenditure on power purchases was Rs 4103 crore, 2013-14 Rs 4471.96 crore, 2014-15 Rs 5153 crore, 2015-16 Rs 5293 and 2016-17 was Rs 5524 crore. During 2017-18, around Rs 6000 crore was spent onpower purchase. In the current fiscal, around Rs 4000 crore has been spent so far on power purchase.
He said the upgrading and creation of new infrastructure would not help the state to improvise power until there is 100 percent installation of metres.
The centre in December last year announced an allocation of additional power of 792 MW for Jammu and Kashmir in view of higher demand in winters in the state. However, people say that there has been no improvement in power supply in the valley. |
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