{"id":269,"date":"2011-02-20T09:02:17","date_gmt":"2011-02-20T09:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kanglaonline.com\/?p=12772"},"modified":"2011-02-20T09:02:17","modified_gmt":"2011-02-20T09:02:17","slug":"messy-power-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manipur.org\/news\/2011\/02\/20\/messy-power-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"Messy Power Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sir,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\nApropos \u201cReality of Power Drive\u201d IFP editorial Feb 14, 20111 would like to add a little which come to my knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0field<\/a>\u00a0staffs of the Power Department. The field staffs collect money from these culprits for the illicit connection. They also collect taxes from these\u00a0connections<\/a>\u00a0from time to time. But it is anybody\u2019s guess whether the money so collected is ever deposited in the\u00a0Government<\/a>fund? The funny thing is the \u201cPower Drive\u201d disconnects the defaulters of Power Taxes, but these illicit connections in obscure places are often left untouched.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the editorial pointed out \u201cthose disconnected consumers get the power line\u00a0connected<\/a>\u00a0by themselves soon after the power staff left the spot.\u201d The situation is rather deplorable. The onlookers though seemingly annoyed could not object to it probably a \u2018Bhai-Bondhu\u2019 affair or not to\u00a0create<\/a>personal enmity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the genuine consumers are\u00a0paying<\/a>\u00a0a 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\u2019 knowledge and without proper notification.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the matter of billing the Power Tax it is very irregular. Some funny saying \u201cBill Forms are out of print\u201d. If bills are not timely issued to the consumers how payments of Power Tax would be regular? Still funnier phenomenon is\u00a0charging<\/a>\u00a0different 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.\u201d How such things could happen? This matter definitely would\u00a0attract<\/a>\u00a0consumer court. It is too much for a Government to ignore!<\/span><\/p>\n

Yours faithfully,
\nB. Achou Sarma
\nKhongman Mangjin Imphal East<\/span><\/p>\n

[Reproduced by KO from Imphal Free Press]<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/h6>\n