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| PDD fails to install check meters in bulk Power using industries | | Official apathy triggers Industrial Power pilferage worth crores Communications of PDC ignored | | Abodh Sharma
Jammu, Aug 23: Blame it on criminal administrative inertia or deliberated conspiracy to extend undue benefits to some blue eyed, many macro industrial units set up in the State which use Power in bulk are operating without check meters, allowing them pilferage of Power worth crores every month, thereby confronting domestic users with power cuts during scorching summer days and even nights despite paying up their dues.
Despite repeated communications from the State Power Development Corporation (SPDC) to Chief Engineer M&RE, Check meters and CT PT units which are mandatory for industrial power connections using power above 1 MVA, many such industrial units which already enjoy sops and tax holidays have been allowed to use power without said metering system, allowing them an opportunity to use huge quantum of unaccounted industrial power. Interestingly, one of such industrial units is promoted by son of a senior Minister of coalition Government.
In continuation of its earlier communication to the Chief Engineers, vide office letter no. EMD/II/J/RS/5340-43, dated December 19, 2009, the office of the Development Commissioner (Power) wrote again vide communication no. DC/PD/TO-1/30/3109 dated January 11, 2010 emphasising the need to install check meters and CT PT units in such industries and Government departments using bulk connections. The communication also demanded names of such industrial units in Jammu besides the Government departments with load above 1 MVA.
It is pity that while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who is the Minister Incharge for Power and has been blaming people of the State for not paying their power dues, two years after these communications, check meters and CT PT units have still not been installed in these industrial units which use power worth crores each month. Sources revealed to ET that the department has identified nine such industrial units which have been huge beneficiaries of illicit largesse of the PDD; these include Yamuna Alloys Ltd, Nasbadq Steels Ltd, Haryana Malleable and Alloy Castings Ltd, Jammu Castings Ltd, Quality Castings Pvt. Ltd, all located at SIDCO Industrial areas Bari Brahmana, Jhelum Industries, KNK Chemicals Samba, Balajee Pigments Ltd, Kathua and Mir Steel Rolling Mills Pulwama.
President Bari Brahmana Industries Association Anil Suri however refuted allegations of any power theft in Bari Brahmana industrial area. "Almost all industrial units are on CT PT units and the power usage of power intensive units are monitored directly by the PDD through modems" Suri said reiterating that all such units are on 33 KVA lines and the T&D losses in Bari Brahmana industrial estate are below 7 percent.
Chief Engineer Jammu Shehnaz Goni when contacted confirmed that check meters could not be installed till now despite communications from the Development Commissioner Power. "We have ordered these meters, but they could not been procured till now" said Goni. "We, however, monitor their usage through modem and penalize them whenever pilferage is detected by the department," she added. |
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