Dilemma of an electrical crack down

Shanta Nahakpam *

The Hueiyenlanpao dated 25 January picturing footage of a young girl with regards to the drive taken up by Electricity Department is a shame on the part of the government which we have voted to power.

Minor girl roped in as a bill defaulter by the electricity department

It will not be misguided to say that until the P I L was filed against the Department, Electricity Department went defunct in maintaining proper supply, collection of taxes, and verification of connections which means the Department itself was in corrupt practices. The current activity is just a face washing activity to cover up illegal activity of the department. A sudden pressure from the P I L has made the department show cast heights of irresponsibility by way of cleansing up connections amongst the helpless and the common population which is an easy access for any one.

While the electricity department was sleeping for last many years, all of a sudden is displaying a rare show of power on easily accessible population. It can be imagined as to how these connections were never checked and bills went due. Fact is that the department itself must have been a partner to such corrupt practices. Steps which should have been taken earlier are now being taken with a show of power as if citizens enjoy no right to self respect (The picture showing a young girl like a criminal from yaiskul police lane is a perfect victim and example).

Most amazingly the department has been making footage of anyone found to be enjoying illegal connection as well as disconnecting connections with vast amount of due. The way in which it is done is quite shameful. In a society where power and post is the law, a civil department has again displayed that common people are helpless. It can be mentioned that many of the Govt Departments which have dues in Cores have not been cracked down with and are not paraded like any common people.

There will be thousands of hurdles in cracking down Govt Departments which are enjoying power supply even though they have huge amount due. Some of the questions which the public should have an answer of are:-

Who is to be responsible for such dues which were never paid or cannot be paid at once?
Who will be paying such dues or in which officer’s term will it be paid?
Why are such departments still enjoying non interrupted power supply when the common people are facing disruption of power now and then?
Most amazingly will the department be able to treat such departments like the one they have done with a young girl in Yaiskul area, will they be able to make footage of any one they can catch hold of?

I don’t think the department has any plans nor they will be able to do anything with such big dues, as Manipur is a land of law which comes from power and position. Not surprisingly crimes committed by people with power become a victim to the common.

Electricity department should ask themselves, where they can find answer for all these questions. Let us rethink on the issue of non payment of dues and illegal power supply how many of these cases were not known to the department officials? And there would be none!

Increasing dues and illegal connections is a crime than, why shouldn’t we call the department itself is a major partner as it has been their responsibility to keep a check which has never happened. Such officials have committed crime against Government as by law they hold the positions which give them the authority to keep a check and collect taxes from such people. This has never happned in many cases. Thus the first person who should be pictured like a criminal is the official responsible for the same since he or she has not been performing his duty according to the order of appointment to his post.

Now if we ask them if they were completely unknown of the facts that how much power is being wasted in illegal connection which did not have any documents they will surely be able to answer. The same can be answered by the department in terms of dues or non payment of bills.

The question now is what the department was doing while all these connections were being processed, when these dues were rising? The answer is: they were a part of such activities so they never did anything or they never cared in both the cases is non performance of Government duty due to which the common people have suffered. It will not be wrong to ask for suspension or termination of officials due to whom such activities remained unchecked. Well if we compare the footage of the young girl who is being treated like criminal and has captured the front page of local daily officials from the department should also be treated the same (non performance of Govt duty is a crime).

An activity to check illegal connections and non payment of bills if carried out earlier(effectively) by the officials, the young girl or anyone else would have not come on the front page of any paper or we may say no one would have been required to be treated like criminal. Yes stealing power is a crime likewise non collection of taxes should also be treated as a crime. Officials who have not reacted in time must also be punished without any consideration. As in the case of this young girl she is a victim now. Violating departments should also be paraded and treated similarly why the common people should only face such activity when Govt departments enjoy large amounts of non payment of bills.

Before anyone is put responsible for such issues Government should re-think if their officials are performing their duties properly. Such employees who do not perform their duties properly should be sacked immediately. In future they do not get the advantage to show off and blame others for their lack of responsibility.