Rs 3.45 crore fine imposed on ‘power thieves’ in Jammu: claims PDD

Drive against power theft 

Rs 3.45 crore fine imposed on ‘power thieves’ in Jammu: claims PDD

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Sept 26: Power development department (PDD) claims to have imposed Rs. 3.45 crore on the consumers indulged in the theft of power in Jammu region during past four month.

Officials said that department has recovered Rs 2.42 crore so far and action is being taken against the people involved in the illegal withdrawal of the electricity.

It is pertinent to mention here that in the practice of curbing the power theft in the state the PDD department in the second week of May had issued an order in which they had asked consumers to disclose their load under Volunteer Load Disclosure Scheme (VLDC), and warned of huge penalty if consumers fail to do so.

It shows that the consumers have totally ignored the scheme and showed no interest to disclose their load as only 35000 consumers has disclosed their actual load in between the period i.e. from May - July 2012.

Official of the department have conducted over 13,597 inspections interim the above mentioned period and has imposed penalty of Rs. 3.45 crore against the power defaulters in Jammu division and also recovered Rs. 2.42 crore fine so far. 

“In the absence of data of actual installed load, JKPDD is unable to plan and upgrade the existing transmission and distribution system to cater the actual load. This leads to more interruptions, breakdowns of supply due to overloading of distribution system. Considering the matter and it was been decided to introduce Voluntary Load Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Category and Non-Domestic Commercial Category to give them opportunity to get their unauthorized load regularized, but from whole Jammu Division only 35000 consumers have adopted the VLDS which is not even the 20 % of the total consumers we have”, said Gurbachan Singh, Exe. Engineer PDD.

However, key factor responsible for the failure of VLDS is that the people claimed that if they pay according to the meters, then what is the need to disclose the load.

“We are paying according to the meters, then why should we declare the load under VLDS? “There are many electric appliances at our home which are used occasionally. The VLDS mentions that each and every appliance that is present in our home should be disclosed. When we are not using various electric appliances, then there is no need to disclose it”.

Any official clarification regarding these queries of the consumers is still awaited by the PDD department which has probably resulted the failure of VLDS.

Despite ban, mining mafia continues to extract sand, gravel from Tawi

Poor Execution

Despite ban, mining mafia continues to extract sand, gravel from Tawi

Yash Khajuria

Jammu, Aug 31: Despite the ban has been imposed on the extraction of the extraction of sand, gravel from river beds in Jammu for the period of two months, the powerful mining mafia continues to indulge in illegal mining.

Extraction work continues in Tawi riverbed near Sidhra and Raipur Satwari areas of the city right from the wee hours,.

Pertinent to mention here that the District Magistrate (DM) Jammu, in exercise of powers vested on him under section 144CrPC,  had  imposed  ban on the extraction of Minor Minerals , like sand, gravel and RBM from the rivers  and also from the areas 150 meter upstream  and 100  meter  downstream of  the culverts , causeways over local Nallahs for a month of two months on August  30 right from the date of issuance of this order.

Sources said that due to illegal mining crores state exchequer is losing crores of rupees every month, but due to the nexus between the officials and people associated with the trade, the illegal work is going on.

After the inputs of uncontrolled extraction of the minor minerals from the riverbeds a ban has been imposed to keep a check on the uncontrolled extraction of Minor Minerals from local Rivers, Nallahs including river Tawi (both Nikkie Tawi and bade Tawi), Nallah near Sidhra Bye-pass Bridge, Jajjar Nallah , Kattal Battal , particularly in close vicinity of Motorable and Railway  Bridges, which is likely to cause damages to the basements and Super-structure of these bridges.

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate has asked the District Mineral Officer, Geology and Mining Department Jammu, besides Tehsildars  and Station House Officers  to ensure the compliance of the order and also make it sure that the  mining and quarrying shall  be strictly in conformity with the norms laid down by the Geology and Mining Department.

Regarding the illegal extraction of the minor minerals from the riverine areas when contacted to the Deputy Commissioner Jammu he did not responded despite several attempts.

However Additional Deputy Commissioner Ravi Shanker Sharma when contacted said that the extraction of the said material is banned in the 500 meters upstream areas of the Tawi Nallah and particularly in the close vicinity of motorable and railway bridges despite this if somebody violates the ban the eyewitnesses  should have to inform the authorities.

When asked about any special squads to keep vigil on the mining mafia he said that the administration did not constituted any special squad but the concerned SHO of the Police station and Tehsildar (Sub District magistrate ) has been authorize to take immediate action.

National Sports Day A half hearten Celebration

National Sports Day A half hearten Celebration

Sports Council completes mere formality to celebrate National Sports Day

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Aug 30: In a glaring example of alleged step motherly treatment being adopted by the sports authorities towards hockey in J&K, the J&K State Sports Council which is already struggling to provide basic infrastructural facilities to its sportspersons could not even celebrated the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

The occasion was the celebration of National Sports Day to mark the anniversary of none other than hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand which State Sports Council celebrated by garlanding the portrait of the legendary hockey player installed at K K Hakku Stadium for a mere formality.

It is pertinent to mention here that last year, the national sports day was celebrated at the same venue with much fanfare wherein the Sports Minister felicitated several veteran players. But this time, the authorities seemed to have forgotten to do the same.

“It is wise on part of the authorities to organise a friendly match or a tournament in the memory of the legendary sportsman of the country who was the undisputed king in the world of hockey”, said Balwinder Singh, president of J&K Hockey Association (JKHA).

This sort of deed by the State Sports Council is a matter of big dishonour as far as his contribution in the field of hockey is concerned.

When contacted to a senior official of the state sports council he said we are trying our best to sort out the differences between the hockey associations in the state, but it is not so easy to come out on any conclusion in a short span of time.

Now a drama by college owner, who threatened to self immolate himself

ETT colleges again in news

Now a drama by college owner, who threatened to self immolate himself

Yash Khajuria

Jammu, Aug 29: While the ‘education mafia’ in Jammu and Kashmir has already made education an avenue of  earning huge money, but now it has come to the level of ‘Drama’.

A recent incident is testimony to this fact, were a owner of Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) institute first threatened the staff in J&K State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) and later threatened to self immolate himself, for not giving permission to admit students in management quota.  

Sources said that the owner of Nalanda ETT college identified as Rakesh Sharma approached V R Sharma, Joint Secretary, Examination (JKBOSE) seeking permission for admissions of ETT aspirants under Management Quota for the session 2009-11 which was denied to him as his institute was not given No Objection Certificate (NoC) by the authorities.

Eyewitnesses alleged that the person again visited BOSE office with NoC to seek permission for starting admission in the course, which was again denied as date of admission has passed.

Sources said that there was complete chaos in the board premises after the ETT owner threatened to self immolate himself which forced the authorities to call police. Later police was deployed in the office premises just as a preventive measure because and efforts were made to pacify the person identified as Rakesh Sharma.

Sources further claimed that Rakesh Sharma had also apprised the BOSE that despite completing all the necessary formalities he had not found his college on the official website.  Sources said after finding things went out of control, Rakesh threatened the BOSE authorities to self immolate him. As a preventive measure, the BOSE then called for police deployment in the office premises of JKBOSE to prevent any untoward incident.

ETT colleges are always in news for bad reasons. A year ago in an astonishing find, 51 Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) institutes functioning in Jammu region were proclaimed as untraceable by a survey conducted by the Board

Sources said that most of these institutions have given addresses which do not exist or the buildings mentioned were found locked, sending alarm bells ringing among the officials.

Though many raise questions about the failure of board till now to detect the ‘fraud’ going on in the name of ETT education in the state, but officials said that running of these ‘untraceable’ institutions was not possible without the support of the senior officials in the BOSE, whose working is already under scanner.

5 lakh electricity consumers unaccounted for in J&K

PDD claims fall flat

5 lakh electricity consumers unaccounted for in J&K

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Aug 28:  About 5 lakh domestic consumers have been using unaccounted electricity that too without paying any single penny to the Power Development Department (PDD) putting question mark on the claims of department on reforms.

There are 20,15,088 households across the State 10,21,244 in Jammu region and 9,93,844 in Kashmir valley as per the census of 2011 and 17,53,201 (87 per cent) of these households have the facility of electricity.

In Jammu region, the highest unregistered domestic consumers are in Jammu district where their number is 66,781 followed by Rajouri where their number is 62,470. Poonch district is at number three place with 46,186 unregistered consumers. Similarly, there are 38,040 such consumers in Kathua, 36,572 in Doda, 29,590 in Ramban, 24,923 in Kishtwar, 29,885 in Udhampur, 32,092 in Reasi and 23,195 in Samba districts.

Out of 17,53,201 households having facility of electricity, 11,30,541 are registered consumers of the Power Development Department while as 6,24,461 are unregistered consumers which means they are using electricity without paying even single penny to the Department, sources said, adding "it is not known as to how much electricity these 6,24,461 unregistered households have been consuming and subsequently causing huge loss to the State exchequer".

Out of 6,24,461 unregistered consumers across the State, 3,39,735 are in Jammu region and 2,34,726 in the Kashmir valley and their percentage in Jammu region is 43.92 while as 29.86 in Kashmir valley, sources informed.

"All these unregistered consumers have been consuming electricity at their own will and whim that too right under the nose of the concerned officers of the Power Development Department", sources said, adding "it is a matter of serious concern that neither Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers nor Executive Engineers and subordinate Engineering Staff of the Department bothered to bring such a large number of unregistered consumers under the ambit of registration".

“Undoubtedly, there are numbers of unregistered connections in the state but the actual figure could not be as large of something 6.24 lakhs we have kept our focused to reduce the alarming number of unregistered connections as our special Squads are regularizing the unregistered connections wherever they find” Said Gurbachan Singh,  Superintending Engineers PDD.

Politicians- police- mafia nexus encroach thousands of kanals of land

Land encroachment in Jammu, Kathua, Samba

Politicians- police- mafia nexus encroach thousands of kanals of land

Yash Khajuria

JAMMU, Aug 23: A nexus among Ministers, police, Revenue officials and land mafia has caused the State exchequer a heavy loss to the tune of several crores due to encroachment on the Government land at various places. In Samba and Jammu districts alone, the losses would run into several crores.

Official sources said that hundreds of kanals of land on Jammu-Akhnoor  road  have been grabbed by the politicians belonging to the National Conference (NC) and Congress, but no step is being taken against them despite several complaints.

The nexus is growing day by day with no check on influential persons by any anti-corruption body as they were either linked mostly to the ruling parties or enjoyed patronage of politicians and police.

Even some police officials posted in Samba, Kathua have helped the politicians of ruling congress-NC government in grabbing and have been given prestigious postings by the government.  

“The Revenue officials are quick to oblige the Ministers by converting title of the land on the names provided by them. Not only the Minister but also a number of his favourites including police and Revenue officials have also taken the advantage of poor anti-corruption mechanism”, said a source.

Former Tehsildar, Jammu, Bashir Patwari had not only been given out of turn promotion but also the prize posting of Jammu tehsil by a Cabinet Minister in lieu of a huge sum, sources said, adding when the officers get postings by paying a huge amount, they start indulging in encroachments and other kind of undesirable activities to plunder the State exchequer.

Sources said the General Administration Department (GAD) was sitting over grant of prosecution sanction to the Vigilance Organisation against a number of officials leading to delay in presentation of challans against them.

According to sources, such was the strong nexus among politicians, police, Revenue officials and land mafia that all of them had grown from rags to riches in just few years.  A police official said there was not a single day when he didn’t come across the complaints of double sale of plots in Greater Kailash, Bhatindi and surrounding localities.