Names of power defaulters of above Rs 5 L to be published on billboards

Officials asked to submit list of nonpayers to respective MDs

Jammu: With an objective to recover revenue from power defaulters, the Jammu and Kashmir government is mulling to publish their names especially those owing dues over Rs 5 Lakh on billboards at different locations.
In this regard, the officials have been asked to identify the defaulters within weeks to expedite the process of recovery.
“We have been asked to submit the list of power defaulters in descending order to concerned Managing Directors for the release of funds for making flex boards with the name of defaulters,” the officials of Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) and Jammu Power Development Corporation Limited (JPDCL) confirmed The News Now, wishing not to be named.
Divulging more details, they said that their names to be published on billboards in the office of power department in their respective areas.
They added that this strategy will also help to reduce power theft across J&K.
“We have been also asked to issue notices to government departments, which owes power defaulters,” they said.
Officials informed that directions have been passed to issue notices to all government departments to clear all pending power dues. “The time will be granted to government departments to take up matter with Finance Department but they fail to clear the dues in stipulated time their power supply will be discontinue.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Jammu and Kashmir Finance Department had recently issued a notice to government department for clearing outstanding and pending electricity power dues.
“Each Department is supposed to clear the electricity bills of their offices raised by the Power Development Department every month by way of contra-credit/book adjustment at respective Treasuries.
“To streamline payment of electricity dues, it is impressed upon all the Administrative Secretaries to instruct the Heads of the Department (s) and Drawing and Disbursing Officer(s) under their administrative control to clear the Electricity dues immediately,” it read further saying that the properly assessed bills shall be cleared by each department on monthly basis and shortfall in budget allocation with proper justification shall be projected in the Revised Estimates 2021-22.
“By not paying regular electricity bills, various government departments are adding to the financial burden on the exchequer of the UT,” an official said.
Pertinent to mention that the liability on various government departments of Jammu and Kashmir is more than Rs 3600 crore.
“Many government departments, bureaucrats of Jammu and Kashmir have pending liabilities of the electricity department and due to non-payment of the bill for many years, the liability has touched the figure around Rs 3600 crores,” reliable sources said.
Sources said that many successive governments of Jammu and Kashmir made efforts to pay off these liabilities, but year after year it increased.