news details |
|
|
| As Bhaderwah simmers over meter reader's alleged fraudulent act, beopar mandal gives call for bandh | | He allegedly cheated people by tempering with bank receipts, "gobbled up" lakhs | | BHARAT BHUSHAN
JAMMU, June 14: People in Bhaderwah are up in arms over an alleged fraudulent act of a meter reader of power development department (PDD) who was stated to have "gobbled up" lakhs of rupees by tempering with the bank deposit slips.
Some felt that the scam could run in crores. Meter reader Salim Tak, posted in Bhaderwah for the past about two years, had been assigned the job of collecting revenue from electricity consumers in and around the town, including shopkeepers.
After collecting revenue against the electricity bills, he used to deposit the money in the Bhaderwah branch of J&K Bank.
The allegations against him are that he has cheated the consumers. "Tak took Rs 4,500 from me against the electricity bill but when I enquired from the bank, I came to know that he had deposited Rs 1,500 only," alleged Bhaderwah Development Action Committee (BDAC) president Imityaz Bhat.
"But I was given a tempered receipt which showed that Tak had deposited Rs 4,500," he claimed.
Bhat said there were at least 300 consumers like him who had allegedly been cheated by Tak.
As resentment brewed up in the town over the meter reader's alleged act, Bhaderwah Beopar Mandal (BPM) and BDAC decided to observe a complete shut down in the town on Friday.
During the bandh, protests would be held across the Bhaderwah town, the BDAC president said and added that this was being done to pressurise the authorities concerned to take action against the meter reader.
A BPM delegation, led by tailor Jaswant, later called on incharge of Bhaderwah police station and brought the matter to his notice. A chemist, who was part of the delegation, said police took their application but returned them, saying that the future course of action in the matter would be decided after their statements were recorded on Friday.
Deputy commissioner, Doda, Farooq Ahmad Khan said he had also received inputs in this connection.
"I have directed the PDD authorities of Bhaderwah to produce before me all the record in my office at Doda on June 18 when I return from Srinagar," he informed.
Executive Engineer (Bhaderwah) Thappa said he had already asked his subordinates to immediately collect the requisite record and show it to him for its examination.
However, repeated efforts to contact the meter reader failed as his cellphone was switched off.
Several other callers, who phoned this newspaper, alleged that the meter reader had the backing of some senior PDD officials as no action was taken despite their repeated complaints against him.
The BDAC president said if the administration did not take legal action against the meter reader after the Friday's protest, they would intensify their struggle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
