JK Govt starts night inspections to detect power pilferage

Jammu, Jul 5 (UNI) To avoid the power pilferage in the state, the Jammu and Kashmir government has started night inspections to detect incidents of power stealing and will provide meters in capital cities Jammu and Srinagar.

J&K Power Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora said the capital cities would be fully metered by October this year besides covering Urban areas of Kathua, Udhampur, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch and Vijaypur.

Setting October as the deadline for the engineers to fully cover these areas for installation of electronic meters, the Minister said by metering these areas alone would enable a comfortable winter this year in terms of energy supply and its conservation techniques.

Stringently instructing the engineers to carry out the drive in twin capitals of Jammu and Kashmir on war footing, Jora said, Srinagar and Jammu cities together consume a major chunk of nearly 40 per cent of the total energy supplied to the state. He said metering of these cities would, to a larger extent, check the power pilferage apart from raising the revenue realisation tremendously.

The Minister, who convened a high-level departmental officers meeting of superintendent and executive engineers of Jammu division, here this morning to take stock of the power scenario as also to monitor the targets achieved by the concerned electrical divisions, instructed them to cover all commercial establishments with installation of electronic meters.

''Even the kiosks and small commercial units should be metered and no compromise be made in this behalf, as these establishments are indulging in blatant misuse of energy consumption,'' he asserted.

Mr Jora expressed his profound concern over the masked operation of air conditioners by the so-called well-heeled and civilised sections of the society and directed the engineers to furnish a comprehensive data on the number of air conditioners (ACs) in their respective areas, the increase thereof in their numbers per household and commercial establishment. He said that the data on ACs would serve not only narrative and illustrative purpose of the energy being consumed, but also help in identification of power pilferage points. He asked the engineers to conduct random surprise checks of their areas to check concealed running of ACs by the power consumers. ''Night inspections, especially to tap in the power thefts of obscured functioning of ACs would do wonders not only in improving the energy scenario but also in yielding higher revenue returns'', he said.

Warning those indulging in power pilferage in connivance with departmental staff of punitive action, the Minister directed that those indulging in hooking or masked consumption of electricity, be it for ACs or other purposes, apart from the legal action the energy supply to them must mandatorily be snapped for at least 10 days.

He came down heavily on the interference in the departmental functioning by influential sections and said, ''We will not get buckled down and brow beaten by anyone, be it political class or high-ranking bureaucrats.'' UNI HGV SHB HT1947