The Hindu : Drive to recover power arrears

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 09, 2003

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Drive to recover power arrears

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU FEB. 8. To recover electricity dues pending for years, Jammu and Kashmir has made it mandatory for consumers to obtain a no objection certificate from the Electricity Department for getting government documents such as driving licence and passport.

The State's power arrears have multiplied in the last 10 years with people not paying their dues. The Centre had warned the State Government several times about the increasing dues for power drawal from the Northern Grid.

The new order has lead to an unusual rush in electricity offices either to pay dues or to get a no objection certificate.

The State Government is also likely to regularise three lakh connections, which have been detected in the recent past. It has already regularised 55,000 illegal power connections and revised 5,676 power agreements in January as part of a drive to increase dues recovery.

Government departments have been asked to install power meters. The present system of charging the departments at flat rates would go. This has been done to make them accountable for the energy consumed. Just like domestic consumers, they would now face disconnection of power supply if dues were pending.

A meeting chaired by the Chief Minister has decided to recover arrears of commercial and industrial power use for Rs. 137 crores. Also Rs. 76 crores would be recovered from the State and Central Government departments.

The Centre's help would be sought to recover Rs. 46.56 crores on account of power charges for security forces and Rs. 27.71 crores for migrant camps. Efforts would be made to debit both these arrears under the security-related expenditure.

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