In total disregard to the basic motive of increasing the reducing revenue through recently launched prepaid power tariff payment system, the collection of power tariff bills from the power consumers through prepaid online payment procedure in Srinagar is reducing instead of showing improvements due to compatibility issues developing in accessing the online prepaid payment portal of Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) on android phones. Ensuring the compatibility in accessibility to prepaid online power tariff system before implementing it on ground should have been the top priority of the authorities before launching the online pre-paid power tariff payment system but unfortunately hasty decision on shifting to online pre-paid power tariff system has gone against the basic motive of raising the revenue collection for the purposes of prompt availability of power to consumers in the areas where the installation of smart meters has been completed fully. What matters the most is fact that while most of the consumers of Below Poverty Line (BPL) category don’t have access to smart phones for shifting to pre-paid power tariff payment system across Jammu & Kashmir, the compatibility in accessibility to pre-paid power tariff payment portal of KPDCl is not two much effective and efficient even in Srinagar City and this technical complication would be unprecedentedly high in towns and villages where the mobile internet connectivity is so much poor that children desperate to embark on online education system fail to do so in such areas across Jammu & Kashmir.
While the launch of pre-paid power tariff system has begun with unmanageable difficulties administrative wisdom demands that Government suspends shifting to pre-paid online power tariff payment system till the resolution of the compatibility issues developing in accessibility to online pre-paid online power tariff payment portal of KPDCL and improvement in mobile networks across Jammu & Kashmir.
Though records show that out of 50,000 consumers in smart metered areas only 800 consumers were paying power tariff bills in time till the launch of pre-paid power payment system almost a fortnight back but it is also a fact that in KPDCL sub divisions of 18000 consumers the no of power consumers paying power tariff bills in time has reduced from 12000 to 8000 after the launch of pre-paid power payment system. So by all standards of understandabilities the launch of pre-paid power tariff payment system has shown collections of power tariffs from less than 50 % consumers against the payment of power tariff bills by 75% consumers under post paid power tariff payment system a practice which is still in force in entire Kashmir valley excepting South Srinagar parts and some areas of North Srinagar. So while the launch of pre-paid power tariff system has begun with unmanageable difficulties administrative wisdom demands that Government suspends shifting to pre-paid online power tariff payment system till the resolution of the compatibility issues developing in accessibility to online pre-paid online power tariff payment portal of KPDCL and improvement in mobile networks across Jammu & Kashmir.
