Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 23: Adding further woes to homeless flood victims, Power Development Department (PDD) has sent them hefty power bills and directed them to pay on stipulated time.
People are surprised to see that PDD employees looking for the whereabouts of homeless families, whose house have been collapsed in last year floods.
The residents said that the PDD employees find it tough to find the present address of many displaced families. “PDD employees dropped dozens of power bills in my shop after they found families missing from their original address,” Aijaz Ahmad Wani, who runs a shop at Qamarwari said.
The flood affected families of Qamarwari, Bemina, Nawakadal and other adjoining areas told Excelsior that dozens of houses have collapsed during last year September floods, but they were surprised to receive electricity bills from PDD. “I was surprised to receive a hefty power bill of my house despite the fact that I lost it in last year floods,” one of the victims said, adding, his house has been turned into a heap of debris six months back.
The residents also said that they approached to PDD’s local office at Bemina and formally wrote to them to discontinue the power supply till new houses are constructed at existing places.
The affected families told Excelsior that Electric Division-3rd Bemina despite knowing the ground realities has sent them the bills.
Residents also said that the PDD in a verbal order has asked the victim families to pay the tariff for their rented accommodations’. “We shifted to one of our relatives house and are living there from last five-months, but PDD is asking us to pay the flat rate bills of present location, despite the fact that we are living with relatives’,” Feroz Ahmad, a local said, adding their present location was a metered area.”We received Rs 713 flat rate power bills few days ago,” he said.
Power Development Department (PDD) Chief Engineer (CE) Bashir Ahmad Khan told Excelsior that the department was generating a huge quantity of bills for its subscribers and admitted that it might be an error to send the power bills to homeless families.
He, however, said that there has been no concession in electricity bills from the Department to these affected families. “Wherever, these families have been settled, they are using power. So, they have to pay,” Khan said. He also said the PDD has kept its officers available to address the public grievances.
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