Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 12: Facing heavy losses on account of power purchase bill and less revenue collection as compared to the target, the Power Development Department (PDD) headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has cracked whip on violators serving notices to those having electricity arrears amounting to Rs 10 lakh or above with two weeks notice to clear the payment or face disconnection.
Ruling National Conference Headquarters `Nawai Subah’ in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, is among 148 defaulters including 119 in Jammu and 29 in Kashmir Valley.
The defaulters of Rs 10 lakh or above owed a total amount of Rs 59.52 crores to the PDD including Rs 51.74 crores in Jammu province and Rs 7.78 crores in the Kashmir Valley, official sources said.
The PDD had served the notices to influential defaulters, which included several Government Undertakings (both Centre and State), security forces, industries, hotels apart from National Conference Srinagar headquarters in Srinagar on December 4 and the deadline to liquidate the complete arrears expired on December 18.
Of Rs 59 crore owed to the department, BSNL, NHPC, Airtel, Vodafone, BSF, JKTDC, Royal Spring Golf Course, Hotel Hari Niwas Palace, Jhelum Resorts, Hotel 17 Miles, Sheraz Cinema, ASCOMS Hospital, Sidhra, MES are among the major defaulters with power arrears amounting over Rs 10 lakh each.
“We are very serious about the deadline. We will disconnect the electricity connections of the defaulters irrespective of the influence they enjoyed. The power supply to the installations wouldn’t be restored unless and until they clear the full payment,” a senior PDD officer said and disclosed that the PDD has received good response to the notice with many defaulters either making payments or seeking queries on the payment of arrears.
The PDD officer said: “the list of people, offices (both Centre and State), industries, hotels and other people runs into thousands but we have issued notices so far only to those individuals and organisations, who have arrears worth over Rs 10 lakhs. After this, we will take up the defaulters above Rs 5 lakh and so on. We hope to receive good response”.
Justifying the issuance of notification for disconnection of electricity supply to major installations for default of payment, the PDD officer said: “we have been left with no option as the Government has also revised our revenue collection target from Rs 2340 crores to Rs 2800 crores for current financial year of 2013-14. During last financial year (2012-13), we had collected Rs 1450 crores worth revenue as against the target of Rs 1900 crores. To meet the target or reach even close to it, we were required to take certain harsh steps, which we have initiated”.
The ‘Nawai Subah’, the Headquarters of National Conference in Srinagar owed Rs 11.49 lakh to the Power Development Department. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the working president of National Conference, also holds the Power Ministry charge in the State. Trumboo Joinery owned by Tramboo family of Kashmir has an outstanding of Rs 1.09 crores.
Renuka Food Process, Industrial Growth Centre (IGC), Samba topped the list of defaulters with Rs 12.07 crores worth arrears followed by S L Rubber Industry, IGC Samba with Rs 3.86 crores, J&K Pulp and Paper Private Limited, IGC Samba Rs 2.01 crores and K P Paper Mills, IGC Samba Rs 1.73 crores.
Hari Niwas Palace, formerly the residence of Maharaja Hari Singh and owned by the family of Congress MP Dr Karan Singh and his son and NC MLC (former Minister) Ajatshatru Singh, which has been converted to a heritage hotel, owed the department Rs 98.3 lakh.
Hotel 17 Miles Restaurant, Vijaypur owed Rs 22.83 lakh to the PDD.
The Royal Spring Golf Course in Srinagar has over Rs 50 lakh power arrears followed by Hotel Ashoka, owned by ITDC, which owed over Rs 29 lakhs, ASCOMS Hospital (Batra), Sidhra Rs 31 lakh and Jhelum Resorts, owned by top hotelier Mushtaq Chai, owed over Rs 25 lakh, sources said.
The Bharatiya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a Centre Government owned Public Sector Undertaking, owed Rs 58 lakh in different exchanges followed by the Border Security Force (BSF) with over Rs 10 lakh, National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC), Railhead, Jammu Rs 17 lakh, Garrison Engineers of MES over Rs 1 crore, state-owned PSU Jammu Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) Rs 20 lakh and Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) Rs 14.54 lakh, sources said.
They added that private telecom giant Bharti-Airtel owed Rs 40 lakh to the Power Development Department while Vodafone had Rs 11.63 lakh worth arrears, they added.
Kranti Hotel, Jammu has an outstanding amount of Rs 36 lakh, Sanson Bakers, Jammu Rs 1.2 crore while Jammu-based businessman Bhim Raj owed an amount of Rs 1.2 crores and another Jammu-based businessman Sanjeev Verma had Rs 59 lakh worth outstanding.
Shankar Ice Factory, Canal Road, Jammu has an outstanding of Rs 30.28 lakh while Simula Software Solutions and Research Centre Private Limited owed Rs 11.95 lakh to the PDD. High Land Automobiles Private Limited, Channi Rama had a balance of Rs 13.96 lakh.
Sheraz Cinema, Srinagar has an outstanding of Rs 39.89 lakh, Hotel Kehkashan Rs 92.18 lakh, Hotel New Sheraz Rs 10.10 lakh, Green Land Cements, Wuyan Rs 70.12 lakh and New Light Stone Crusher, Letpora Rs 12.95 lakh.
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