Bold step: Deptt to disconnect power
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 17: The Power Development Department today came out with another list of defaulters including five Ministers of previous PDP-BJP coalition Government besides several prominent industrialists, businessmen and Government offices, who owed huge arrears to the Department.
However, in a bold step when the State was under the spell of Central Rule, the Power Development Department, had threatened that it would disconnect electricity supply of all the defaulters if they failed to clear their entire dues within two weeks.
The Department has served disconnection notice to the defaulting consumers asking them to liquidate their balance electricity charges within two weeks failing which their electricity supply will be disconnected without any further notice as per Section 50 of Jammu and Kashmir Electricity Act. For full list of defaulters, visit
Prominent BJP leader, Dr Nirmal Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister and presently Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Naeem Akhter, noted PDP leader and ex-Works Minister besides sitting member of the Legislative Council and Pawan Gupta, former Minister of State for Finance and former MLA from Udhampur were among five noted political leaders listed as defaulters in a list issued by the Power Development Department today.
Significantly, number of industrialists in Bari Brahamana, Kathua and other industrial areas, prominent hoteliers, noted businessmen, cinema theatres and even number of Government offices including the office of DIG Police Udhampur and several Executive Engineers, figured in the list of defaulters, the official list released by the Power Development Department revealed.
Surprisingly, despite owing arrears running into several lakhs to the Power Development Department, the industrial units and other business houses continued to run their businesses without any hindrance for past quite some time but now the Department has come in an active mode at a time when the State was under the spell of Central rule, and threatened that it would disconnect electricity of all the defaulters without any further notice after the expiry of two-week deadline.
Dr Nirmal Singh, a prominent BJP leader, who was Deputy Chief Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition Government and is now Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, owed Rs 8.03 lakh as arrears to the Power Development Department for his Old Ghulami Bagh Jammu bungalow, as per the PDD list of defaulters.
The list revealed that Naeem Akhter, a PDP leader, who was Education and Works Minister in the previous PDP-BJP coalition Government and is sitting MLC, also had arrears of Rs 7.92 lakh against his name for Bungalow No. 1, Gandhi Nagar.
Another PDP leader and former Minister in the PDP-BJP Government, Asiea Naqash has an outstanding amount of Rs 5.71 lakh against her name for Gandhi Nagar residence while Abdul Majid Padder, yet another PDP leader, who was Minister of State in late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led PDP-BJP Government, owed Rs 8.02 lakh electricity supply arrears on his name in the list released by the Power Development Department for his official quarter No. 26/A Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
Pawan Kumar Gupta, who was Minister of State for Finance in Mufti Sayeed headed Government and represented Udhampur Assembly constituency in the dissolved Legislative Assembly, also has an outstanding of Rs 5.38 lakh for the official quarter allotted to him at Gandhi Nagar. Gupta was Minister in Mufti Sayeed Government from the BJP quota.
Murti Gupta and Jatinder Koul, two noted businessmen of Jammu, owed Rs 5.03 lakh and Rs 5.44 lakh respectively to the Power Development Department for their accommodation in Gandhi Nagar, as per the PDD list.
Shankar Ice Factory at Canal Road, Jammu has an outstanding of Rs 9.06 lakh while Indira Theatre in the same area owed Rs 6.5 lakh to the PDD.
The Government offices also didn’t lag behind in the list of those, who have huge arrears against their names to the PDD.
DIG Police Udhampur has an outstanding of Rs 8.56 lakh while Rs 6.51 lakh were pending against the name of JL Sharma, Additional DC Udhampur.
Significantly, Ranbir Yatri Bhawan at Hari Market also had an outstanding of Rs 8.09 lakh while Swagat Restaurants Private Limited at Gurdwara Sunder Singh Road, have balance of Rs 6.47 lakh of the Power Development Department. National Garages, BC Road Jammu too have to pay Rs 6.28 lakh to the PDD, the official list revealed.
Hotel Jagdambay in Katra has an arrear of Rs 6.21 lakh while Hotel New Subash Katra has to pay Rs 6.08 lakh to the Power Development Department.
Number of industrialists and other business houses in Vijaypur Division of the PDD too have electricity arrears on their names running into several lakhs, the list showed.
Jagdamba Oil Mill owed Rs 5.33 lakh to the PDD, JK Dal and Basin Rs 5.58 lakh, Can Food India Rs 5.65 lakh, Vodafone Essar Space Ltd Rs 5.74 lakh, JK Chemicals Rs 6.19 lakh, Hotel Landmark Rs 7.12 lakh, Shivalik Educational Trust Rs 6.32 lakh, Tawi Plastic Rs 7.05 lakh, Gulab Ice Factory Rs 5.31 lakh, Akhil Plastic Industries Rs 5.15 lakh, Metro PVC Pipe Rs 6.23 lakh, Jai Industries Rs 8.57 lakh and TR Card Board Industries Rs 7.19 lakh.
In Kathua Industrial area also, number of industrialists are defaulters of the PDD.
Wireless TT Service has an outstanding of Rs 7.52 lakh, Durga Paper Mill Rs 6.64 lakh, Nadesh Rice Sheller Rs 6.42 lakh, JM Paper Mill Rs 8.68 lakh and Hotel Hall Mark Rs 5.44 lakh.
Offices of Executive Engineer JDA Div 1 Jammu Bahu Plaza and Executive Engineer JDA Division-II Jammu owed Rs 7.81 lakh and Rs 8.94 lakh to the Power Development Department respectively.
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