Srinagar, Nov 4: Power Development Department has seemingly succumbed to influence of high profile people who were allegedly caught stealing power at their posh Friends Enclave villas last week, as till now, no action has been initiated against the accused while the PDD is unwilling to reveal names figuring in the tainted list.
 Eyebrows are being raised over credibility of the PDD and its inspection team which carries out raids. Reasons: unlike routine where some accused Aam Aadmi’s name and other details including fine imposed are published in newspapers, the big guns are being shielded by the department.

THE SKIRTING
 Sources said till now no action has been initiated against the accused Babus, Netas and others caught at the Humhama colony, though the PDD had said that apart from slapping a “big fine”, FIRs would be lodged against them.
 “We have been asked by our superiors to be silent on the issue and there is no possibility of initiating any action against the accused because they happen to be influential people,” said a lower rung PDD staffer who was part of the inspection team.
 He said the inspections to check power theft were being exploited by some senior officials in the Civil Secretariat to “set scores”.
 “Once some high profile man is caught in the power theft he is left with no options but to keep the PDD Babus in good humour or else his name too could be exposed as happens with Aam Aadmi,” alleged the PDD staffer requesting not to be named.
 
THE GENESIS
 On October 31st, at least 20-high profile residents of the posh Friends Enclave on the Humhama highlands including some senior police officials were caught resorting to power theft.
 Officials said the raids were carried out at sunrise by Special Enforcement Cell of PDD led by an Executive Engineer, Bashir Ahmed Dar.
 The high profile accused, as per the PDD officials, had been resorting to “such clever means of the theft, which Aam Aadmi could yet be unaware of.”
 Some of the accused had even resorted to theft by taking up illegal connections for their security people. The PDD had said it was illegal for even policemen on duty to take power connection without proper permission and that the tariff for such connections was to be drawn from Security Related Expenditure.
 Going by the PDD tradition where names of accused and other details including fine imposed are published in newspapers, the people were curious to see who among the influential were caught and what action would be initiated against them. But the PDD inaction has fuelled suspicion over the authenticity of such raids.
 
OFFICIALS SILENT
 When contacted the PDD officials declined to comment on the issue. “I am not the right to speak, better contact my superiors,” said a senior official while similar were the views of the higher-ups.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 4 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 4 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 5 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST