Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: Federation of Industries Jammu (FoIJ) has demanded exemption of minimum demand charges of lockdown period for industrial sector in J&K.
In a meeting of the Federation held today under the chairmanship of Lalit Mahajan, Chairman FoIJ, Rattan Dogra, Jitender Aul, Deepak Dhawan, Co-Chairmen and other Executive Committee members, the speakers discussed the issues related to the power supply bills raised by the Power Development Department for the month of April 2020 with the minimum/ fixed demand charges, inflated bills of power consumed.
They said due to lockdown imposed by the State Administration since March 25, 2020 resulting the majority of the Industrial units not able to run their units in the last week of March and in April 2020 as the permission was granted in Lockdown-2 period with the restrictions imposed by the Administration to run their units with 1/3 work force and other related factors whereas the PDD raised the bills as per their own calculations without taking the reading of the actual power consumed for the month of March and April 2020 and also charged the minimum/fixed demand /charges and electricity duty on the inflated Power bills without taking in to consideration of the Power tariff as fixed by the SERC by the virtue of which relief shall be given to Industrial Units in the minimum/fixed demand charges in case the power consumed less than 75% due to non- working of the Unit, resulting great resentment amongst the Industrial Sector of J&K who is suffering very badly due to lock down.
The FoIJ Executive mention that majority of the States across the country exempted the minimum/fixed demand charges for Industrial Sector for three months whereas no such relief is provided by the UT Administration till date for Industrial Sector and even the Bills raised for the month of April 2020 with the surcharge also for nonpayment of Bills for the month of March 2020 by the Unit holders due to non availability of funds.
The FoIJ requested the Lt. Governor, GC Murmu to intervene into the matter with the directions to Power Development Department for the exemption of minimum/fixed demand charges of April/May and June 2020 and also waive off the surcharges due to non- payment for the month of March/April and May 2020 or till the lockdown period which will provide great relief to the Industrial Unit holders.
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