Jammu:
In a drive against ‘illegal’ power connections and delinquent payments, the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) has disconnected 1702 defaulters, raking in an impressive revenue of Rs 9 crore in just 2 days, officials said today.
“In the first place, connections of 1702 consumers including influential consumers (Industries, Hotels and Influential persons) were disconnected to sensitize the masses to clear their liabilities on account of electricity bills and develop habits of paying electricity bills in time,” it added.
The Spokesperson of JPDCL added that a total of 49,028 inspections have been conducted from March-2023 till October-2023 in which power of 23131 consumers has been disconnected and Rs.68.19 Crore has been realized after disconnections. JPDCL has urged all the consumers to immediately clear the pending dues so as to avoid disconnection.
The crackdown, part of JPDCL’s ongoing efforts to curb energy theft and address financial irregularities, witnessed an intensified inspection process, including day and night patrolling to check power pilferage. JPDCL spokespersons highlighted that the initiative aimed to tighten the noose on consumers engaged in widespread hooking, violation of agreed load, and bypassing of meters.
In an official statement, the JPDCL emphasized its commitment to providing relief to genuine consumers, ensuring that they are not burdened by the actions of erring individuals. The power distribution company further underscored the need to crack down on practices such as energy pilferage, which not only lead to outages but also result in damage to transformers, causing inconvenience to legitimate consumers.
During the two-day operation, JPDCL collected a substantial revenue of Rs 9.03 crore in pending arrear dues on Tuesday alone, reflecting the severity of the issue and the determination to address outstanding payments promptly.
The inspection covered various circles in the Jammu Division, with 1411 inspections in Jammu Division. As part of these efforts, 432 KW load was added across the ten districts of Jammu Province.
Meanwhile, JPDCL in its official statement said that taking cognizance of huge arrears despite providing a reliable power supply amid winters, various Sub Divisions of JPDCL launched a fresh massive disconnection drive vis-a-vis influential and chronic defaulters having huge arrears. During the drive Domestic, Industrial and Commercial consumers having huge arrears were targeted.
The JPDCL urged consumers to settle their pending bills promptly to avoid power disconnections, emphasizing that it remains committed to providing uninterrupted and reliable power supply to those who fulfill their financial obligations