Sir,
Apropos “Reality of Power Drive” IFP editorial Feb 14, 20111 would like to add a little which come to my knowledge.
The accounted loss of 80% of the power in Manipur to transmission and thievery as stated by the Chief Engineer Power is a bold revelation. We have some knowledge of these losses but not to this extent. This loss must have been continuing for the last 3-4 decades. To make up this loss of power and tax thereon by the meagre 20% genuine consumer would be too much for the asking.
It is questionable if the Chief Engineer Power has full account of these losses. As far as power thievery is concerned the culprits are in the knowledge of the field staffs of the Power Department. The field staffs collect money from these culprits for the illicit connection. They also collect taxes from these connections from time to time. But it is anybody’s guess whether the money so collected is ever deposited in the Governmentfund? The funny thing is the “Power Drive” disconnects the defaulters of Power Taxes, but these illicit connections in obscure places are often left untouched.
As the editorial pointed out “those disconnected consumers get the power line connected by themselves soon after the power staff left the spot.” The situation is rather deplorable. The onlookers though seemingly annoyed could not object to it probably a ‘Bhai-Bondhu’ affair or not to createpersonal enmity.
Most of the genuine consumers are paying a minimum rate fixed by the Department as all or most of the meters provided by the Department are substandard and not recording the correct consumption of power. The minimum rate fixed for such defective meters was Rs. 189.00 per month. This minimum rate was recently purported to have been revised to Rs. 405.00 per month, without consumers’ knowledge and without proper notification.
In the matter of billing the Power Tax it is very irregular. Some funny saying “Bill Forms are out of print”. If bills are not timely issued to the consumers how payments of Power Tax would be regular? Still funnier phenomenon is charging different rates of minimum power tax in the same locality of Rs. 195.00 for some consumers and Rs. 405.00 for some other consumers during this period of Power Drive.” How such things could happen? This matter definitely would attract consumer court. It is too much for a Government to ignore!
Yours faithfully,
B. Achou Sarma
Khongman Mangjin Imphal East
[Reproduced by KO from Imphal Free Press]
Related articles
- Electricity Dept, Manipur to launch stern drive against power theft from Jan 24 (nezone.info)
- Bill amounting to Rs 4.28 lakhs collected on 3rd day drive (nezone.info)
- Editorial – Power Drive (nezone.info)
- Electricity Department Power drive (nezone.info)
- Editorial – Let The Drive On Power Tarrif Be A Lesson For All (nezone.info)
Check the pockets of the officers/engineers/ministers concerned, you can recover the accounted loss of 80% plus crores of rupees the state government is pouring in. Total amount consumers paying as interest (compound interest – for late payment) is much higher than the actualy loss of energy in transmission plus illegal tapping. Damn it!
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Yes I like to give strong comment on this Electricity Issue, A big wrong management by the Electricity Dept. where are the meter reader,mainetenance lineman, field technicians,S.O’s and Engr’s.20 years before have everybody, now where? They don’t like go to the field, only they like strike Band for increase salary allowance etc.If they are working everyday 8 hrs duty in every section tax will be coming regularly automatically but no. So how can give the tax for no electric supply, there is electric lost no maintenance regularly ,look at the newspaper we have seen necked transformer ,cabling ,fuse boxes maintain by the local consumers for the safe life of animals and humans, Electricity Department you want to sales Electric you should be maintain everything related with your product, If can’t TOTALLY SALES to a private company we will see how developed in Manipur Electricity, World is forward without Manipur, Manipur is go were, every year budget is more why lost more, you know batter, traffic signal, road border LED SIGNAL,STREET LAMP LED, ashamed without thinking about your product, only table work ashamed. Electricity Dept.You want to see same as BSNL TELEPHONE SERVICE IN MANIPUR compare with other private telecom services in Manipur you also will be shortly, Why you kept many transformers as a good junk at kangla, you know how many locations without transformers under your electrification areas, we the people manage not only repairing charge, maintenance charge by the collecting of local consumers with voluntary organization for you but also not repaired before 4 to 5 months a transformer, Sure we the people of Manipur ashamed, we will pay, give us good electricity. You all Electricity Dept want to take good salary only without work. “DO SALES GOOD PRODUCT EVERY THING WILL BE GOOD RESULT”. Otherwise don’t try to blame to the consumers.