Jammu, March 12: The Power Development Department (PDD) on Saturday late in the evening disconnected the power connections of former Chief Minister of J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad, BJP J&K UT President, Ravinder Raina and former BJP MLA from Ramban, Neelam Langeh, for not paying power dues running in lakhs, official said.
“After disconnection of power of their government quarters at Gandhi Nagar, both Ravinder Raina, BJP J&K UT President and former BJP MLA Neelam Langeh are claiming that they are not supposed to pay the dues as the connections are not registered in their names,” Assistant Executive Engineer PDD, Gandhi Nagar, Rajesh Sharma informed Rising Kashmir adding, “While, in case of former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, his PA approached us claiming that there is a dispute as to who will pay the pending dues”.
All these quarters/bunglows are situated in posh locality Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, and belong to the Estates Department. The pending power dues of Democratic Azad Party (DAP) Ghulam Nabi Azad are around Rs 4 lakh.
The AEE further said that notices were served to these leaders for paying the pending dues before disconnecting their power connections but “there was no response whatsoever from them”.
Sharma added, “We have strict instructions from higher-ups to disconnect the power connections of the people who do not pay the power bills, especially in cases where pending dues run in lakhs, irrespective of their influence and political affiliations”.
The former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has been living in government quarter at Gandhi Nagar since he was Chief Minister of the erstwhile State of J&K and the power bills are pending since then. The dispute as claimed by the PA of Azad is that who will pay the power bills i.e whether the government or Azad himself.
“Now, Azad’s PA told us that some pending power bills are of the period when Azad was the Chief Minister of J&K,” the AEE said adding, “the PA told us that the government is supposed to pay the power dues of the period when Azad was Chief Minister”.
Sharma said that Raina has also been living in his 14-A quarter at Gandhi Nagar since long. “Today morning he (Raina) approached us and said that the power connection is not registered in his name”.
The officer said that future course of action will be decided on Monday. “We will hold a meeting with the Chief Engineer to decide future course of action”.
