Jammu, Nov 5: Most secretariat employees, who shifted to the winter capital after Durbar move, were caught by a surprise after finding their official quarters metered for their electricity connections.
Dejected over metering of power connections of their official quarters in the winter capital, the Durbar move employees have demanded 100 percent revival of flat rate of power, as per the cabinet order of 2007, instead of its revocation.
Employees informed Greater Kashmir that state cabinet had issued an order in year 2007, according to which Rs 90 was fixed as monthly power tariff for one room set, while Rs 150 for two rooms set for the official accommodations.
“Some months back, the Power Development Department (PDD) had metered all the power connections in Estate Quarters and is likely to charge bills on meter readings, instead of charging power tariff on flat rates, which has become a serious problem for employees,” said a group of employees.
On the opening day of civil secretariat at Jammu, this issue was focal point of discussion among non-gazetted employees who have been allotted in Estate quarters in Jammu. These employees were found discussing the issue and were expressing concern over the new development.
President of All Non-Gazetted Employees Union, Civil Secretariat, Rouf Ahmed Bhat said that the decision of metering has been taken by PDD, without any consultation with the government.
“Around 500 employees are allottees of Estate department quarters and their families are living at three different places – parents at ancestral villages, children in urban areas and they were themselves moving with the secretariat. With metering of connections, a single employee has to pay power tariff at three separate locations, that means in a year, a secretariat employee will have to pay the tariff of 36 months, which is totally unfair” he said.
He claimed that the move employees have not been getting any special allowance from government to pay the power tariff.
He said that being a special category employees, a policy should be framed, according to which the power tariff should be shared by the employee and state government.
Making an appeal to state government, Bhat demanded that inspite of revoking the cabinet decision of 2007, the government should revise the decision and enhance the flat rate by 100 percent.

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