STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Despite all out efforts to realise the power tariff from consumers, the Power Development Department (PDD) has suffered huge revenue loss of Rs 5,190.16 crore between 2014 and 2016 (till November end).
Out of this burgeoning sum, hefty Rs 3,761.24 crore of revenue losses were reported from the Kashmir province while the Jammu region accounted loss of Rs 1,428.92 crores.
Interestingly, Srinagar district accounted for maximum revenue loss of Rs 1,373.53 crore while total revenue loss in Jammu stood at Rs 790.48 crore during the same period.
In 2014-15, the Kashmir region suffered revenue loss of Rs 1,666.24 crore, which came down to Rs 1,446.45 crore in 2015-16 and till ending November last year the losses stood at Rs 648.55 crore.
In the Jammu region, the revenue losses were brought down from Rs 608.26 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 522.53 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 298.13 crore till November last year.
In rest of the Kashmir Valley, the situation is equally bad. The districts of Baramulla, Anantnag and Budgam figure next in the order of biggest defaulters.
Baramulla recorded revenue loss of Rs 491 crores, Anantnag Rs 418.47 crore and Budgam Rs 328.99 crore during the past three years.
In Jammu region, Kathua recorded Rs 206.29 crore of revenue loss, Samba Rs 107.26 crore while Rajouri recorded Rs 83.55 crore of loss.
According to PDD authorities, the department managed to realise Rs 757.12 crore from domestic power consumers and Rs 241.67 crore from industrial power consumers in the Kashmir province while Jammu region accounted for Rs 571.95 crore from domestic consumers and Rs 872.35 crore from industrial consumers.
Even the government sector in the Kashmir Valley lagged behind Jammu in clearing the power bills. While Rs 531. 48 crore were recovered from the Kashmir region between 2014 and 2016 (November end), the Jammu region deposited Rs 810 crore during this period.
According to official sources, the Power Development Department carried out a mega enforcement drive during December last year and a total number of 7,065 inspections were conducted by various inspection squads, as a result of which Rs 136.27 lakhs were realised. During these inspections, the power consumers were found indulging in excess/illegal load usage.
