Srinagar, Dec 10:  It is official now that police is resorting to power theft and this offence has been prevalent in the City at least. Taking serious note of the alleged power pilferage by cops and terming it “life threatening”, the Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, Sudhanshu Pandey has directed the PDD to get such connections metered so that their energy usage is made accountable.

THE ORDERS
 “During various inspections by ‘Enforcement Teams’ it has been brought to our notice that the Security Guards performing duty at residential and official premises are drawing electricity by directly hooking from the naked LT network. Apart from being life threatening, this practice defeats the very basic concept of Energy Accounting,” the Principal Secretary said in a notification vide No PDD/PS/ST/101/2012/314/73 dated 9-11-2012.
 The top official has directed that all such connections of the police department be metered. “Accordingly, the directions may kindly be issued to all the Executive Engineers to get such connections metered separately and proper agreement should be signed in respect of each connection with the Police Department so that the Energy is properly billed and expenditure is debited by them either under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) or some other relevant head,” Pandey has observed.
 Fearing some resistance, the official has directed the PDD to approach the Inspector General of Police if they confront any such situation. “Compliance of these instructions may kindly be ensured and in case of any difficulty help of concerned District SPs or zonal IGP may be sought,” Pandey maintained in the order, a copy of which lies with Greater Kashmir.

THE FRIENDS ENCLAVE AFTERMATH
 Highly placed sources said the directive came following raids at the posh Friends Enclave Humhama where last month around 20 high profile residents including Babus and Netas were caught resorting to power theft. The security guards of such top brass were also caught stealing power.
 The PDD, however, seemingly succumbed to pressures of the “influential offenders” at Friends Enclave. And so unlike some Aam Aadmi their names were not revealed. Otherwise the department has been religiously following a custom of exposing the names of such accused in newspapers along with fines imposed.

EVERYONE DOUBTED
 The “special treatment” meted to Friends Enclave accused has triggered massive resentment from public quarters including the colony dwellers. “Everybody is being looked upon suspiciously because PDD has not revealed names of actual thieves,” complained a resident of Friends Enclave.

LAWYER’S POINT
 Meanwhile senior advocate Bashir Ahmed Bashir whom the colony residents had approached to seek legal opinion for getting the list exposed said, anyone can file a RTI with the PDD to know the names figuring in the list of accused.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 10 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 11 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST