Power Dev To Dev A Roadmap But Who Will Pay The Bill?

The Power Development Department is installing smart meters from past few years in the entire union territory but the target of 100% has not yet completed. Consumers are getting exorbitant bills for consumption. The Power Development Department admits that faulty billing may be due to faulty readings. There is huge uproar as several consumers are claiming that they are receiving wrong bills. Many a times the department says that they will address public grievances. The department admits that electricity consumption by all domestic consumers generally increase in the month from December to last February every year especially in Kashmir division due to the peak winter season. The efforts have been made by many consumers as these smart meters are much beneficial to the consumers as it gives the accurate measurement that too without human intervention resulting correct bills are prepared as per actual consumption.The Power Development Department which is responsible for transmission and distribution of electric power in the union territory has announced power curtailment across the valley. Kashmir’s powers shortages stem from a host of factors like inadequate infrastructure, transmission loss and under utilization of resources. Officers and engineers of the department claim that a simple equation of demand and supply explained the valley’s power cuts. The valley lacks heavy industries but demand for electricity soars as the use of heating appliances used to ward off the bitter cold increases. Our Union Territory is perpetually energy deficient and has to rely on power purchases from Northern grid to meet its requirements and it is true for winter when demand goes up and generation goes down. The state’s power demand increased from 1706 megawatts in 2004-2005 to 4217 Megawatts in 2021-2022. The Kashmir valley gets most of its power from Hydel Power Projects with the Region’s rivers at the lowest ebb in winter electricity generation also hits badly. The rivers of Jammu and Kashmir have the potential to yield 20,000 megawatts of power, out of which 16,480 megawatts have been identified so far. With the maximum temperature plummeting to 3oC in the coming winter season, frequent power cuts will throw life out of gear. Power outrages across Kashmir makes winter unbearable for people particularly children and elder people as temperature is slipping. In winter metered areas witness scheduled power cuts, villages witness long power thefts and misuse of power supply. In fact people of valley use power as if there is no tomorrow. The system gets too overload as people use electric heaters in open air. The government has constructed several grid stations across Jammu and Kashmir to enhance its transmission and supply capacity resulting Power handling capacity has increased. In Kashmir valley the winter usually lasts for four months had to face off with freezing temperatures due to heavy spells of snowfall resulting in a cold wave enveloping the region. The winter’s coldest phase is yet to begin but the minimum temperatures have already dropped to lower levels. Now as the winter is approaching and we are very near to the “more cold days”. “Kangri” is the wicker-covered, charcoal filled earthen pot used for heating in winters in this part of the world known as “ Paradise on Earth”. Each year the government promises round the clock electricity but due to decrease in water level in rivers a fresh curtailment has been issued by the power development corporation department resulting most popular with the lower middle class. The centuries old heating device now finds favour among all classes of society to keep warm in the bitter cold of winter. It is Kangri that costs Rs. 1200 depending on the work on the wicker basket. It has become a barometer due to less supply of power distribution in Jammu & Kashmir.
Fayaz Ahmad Kangri Seller near Deputy Commissioner Office Anantnag told this author that I am selling kangri’s from last ten years in this part of the town and there are customers I know from last few years. This year as the temperature has already dipped to 3o c, there is brisk sale of kangris. Previous year only lower middle class people were my customers and people from rural areas, this year decorated kangris are in demand from businessmen and other upper class. Mukhtar Ahmad Shegojri who runs a computer shop adjacent to Fayaz ahmad (Kangri seller) told that we have to switch to the generator usually in winters due to long curtailments people from rural areas also complaint that due to defunct transformers and non availability of power supply impacts the education of children and normal life to be affected badly. The L.G’s voice seems to be falling on deaf ears as many household consumers across the union territory have been receiving inflated electricity bills. Government has directed the officers to ensure propt redressal of complaints of consumers regarding billing. Miss Amina from Naibasti Khanabal Anantnag complained that our line is under the name of my mother in law. But from past few years the Power development has generated another power tariff bill on my name and the husband’s name has been written wrong on the bill. Last month they dropped the bill amounting Rs. 75000/. Many persons complained they handed over the power tariff fee which was in thousand to persons who are working in this department. These staffers have informed these consumers to pay the bill to avoid disconnection. Such complaints are not pouring only in Jammu & Kashmir but these complaints are received nationwide. Electricity Theft: – Main reason of load during winters in Kashmir Valley is the electricity theft. It is the transmission and commercial loss of electricity. Many states have made efforts to prevent the theft of electricity by making stringent laws, which provide punishment for the different actions. It is the big problem in India. In this regard an act namely Electricity Act was formed in 2003. Electricity theft is considered as a criminal practice. It is an offence and punishable with offence and punishable offence and punishable with fine. It consists of nonpayment of a bill, error in accounting or streaking of electricity. Whosoever commits the theft of electricity by tapping the wires, damaging the meter, tampering the meter, or unauthorized use of electricity.
Crisis Of Electricity Theft: It is a serious problem. A number of innocent people are defrauded when their electricity is stolen. Urban areas are the hubs of power theft in Kashmir. The joint electricity regulatory Commission has revised the power tariff from the third quarter of current financial year and it became effective and it claimed that it is still almost half as compared to our neighborhood state Haryana and Delhi and claimed that by this order there will be minimum inconvenience to the public. The average overall nominal increase over the precious tariff was revised in 2016-17 is just 8%. The tariff has been revised with an aim of providing round the clock power supply to the people of Jammu & Kashmir as well as to reduce the loss. It will also build the financial health of the power distribution. The department will modernize the building and metering system to curb power thefts. Really it is the economical growth and is the one of the main problem in this union territory regarding power tariff of government departments. There are dues against various government departments in our union territory. Each department is bound to clear the electricity bills. This author gives credit to Atul Dulloo I.A.S who made it possible that many departments deposited the outstanding balance but yet 100% target has not been achieved in this regard. The work done by power development department is technically fit and is remarkable but still there are many miles for it to achieve. So that it will become possible that the common consumer can get 24×7 electricity. The main responsibility of the power development department is to make a strategy by which it will become possible that the departments deposit their power tariff outstanding in the state exchange and the common people will feel a sigh of relief otherwise common consumers ask question “who will pay the bill of government departments?”
(The author is incharge District Record Room DC Office Anantnag . The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are author’s own and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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