Power supply : Govt-public play the blame game
My City, My Life
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 18 2009: It is a a case of the Chicken or Egg riddle.

While consumers in most of the Imphal Municipality area contend that they are not that keen to pay their power tariff because of the extremely erratic power supply, the Government on the other hand contend that they are constrained to resort to long hours of load shedding because the consumers do not pay their power bills.

Advocate Moirangmayum Bimol Sharma of Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak in IMC Ward number 4 aptly summed up the big losses incurred due to unavailability of power, when he said that there are times when no productive work can be executed since there is no power supply.

Moreover, since power is supplied most of the time only in the wee hours, it does not serve any real purpose.

In the absence of power a generator does the needful

Citing some basic but hard hitting examples, Bimol said the washing machine has been reduced to an ornamental gadget since it cannot function without power.

"I use the domestic connection, but practically there is no metre reading at all.

Every month I pay at least a sum of Rs 198 as power tax regularly," said Bimol.

"It would be in the interest of all if the Power Dept can put its act together and disconnect all the illegal tappings," he opined.

A carpenter at Uripok said that since power is supplied between 5 and 7 in morning there is not much work he can do in a day.

At night it is impossible to carry on with his task as there are complaints of noise from the neighbours.

The erratic power supply has adversely hit my productivity, he added.

"In the absence of regular power supply, we have to rely on the generator, which again means extra expenditure.

With the generator it takes a long time to build even the frame of a door and with carpentry products coming from Moreh regularly, we are in the danger of losing our earning avenue," said the carpenter.

The carpenter candidly admitted that he has not paid his power tax for about one year but added that occasionally some people from the Power Dept come and take some money.

Another man who runs a welding workshop along the same road said that since he has commercial power connection, he receives power from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Whatever work that is there to be done are done during this period and in case there is any outstanding order he uses the generator, which means extra expenditure of Rs 400 per day.

As power tax, he pays Rs 600 every month.

"I can spend the night with just a candle, but I need energy during day time to earn a living," he added.

The power crisis is not only in Imphal but in all the districts of the State, said Haobam Santosh, secretary of Yaiskul Voluntary Organisation.

The youth said that when the transformer in their locality conked out, the local people had to contribute and got it repaired for Rs 55,000 .

There must be around 40/50 unauthorised customers in the locality, he said and added that there have been cases of electrocution when some tried to get connection from the high tension wire, illegally.

Santosh contended that the Power Department seldom deliver the bill on time.

If the Government does its bit and implement policies and programmes that are workable, it would be better.

The Power Department however has a different story to tell.

Superintending Engineer of the Department, Kh Khamba said that there will be no shortage of power if the consumers pay their taxes on time and regularly.

Altogether there are 1,70000 consumers in the State and Imphal alone accounts for 70 thousand connections, said the officer and added that at present the outstanding due is Rs 146 crores including Rs 30 crores from Government Departments.

Despite this, the Power Department is doing its best and is supplying power for at least 4 hours a day.

Out of the total power supplied in Imphal, about 60 per cent goes waste, said the officer and added out of this 40 pc loss is due to power theft.

The consumers do not seem to realise that they have to pay for the power they consume.

They lack civic sense, said the SE and added that load surveys are conducted.

Consumers are also reminded to pay up their outstanding tariff under the Indian Electricity Act.

To improve the power situation in Imphal and to check power theft the Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme will be taken up, informed the officer and added that only 10 KVA transformers will be used so that a single household does not receive more than one power connection.

The biggest transformer in the State will also be upgraded to a 250 KVA line.

All the needed material for the proposed programme have arrived, said the officer.

The first phase of the programme will cover Paona bazar, Thangal bazar, Secretariat, Babupara and some parts of Keishampat.

The project may start from March this year, he said and added that there are provisions for consumers to utilise E-metre, prepaid energy etc.

On the other hand though the company shortlisted to carry out the cable laying work for the proposed programme has submitted the map where the cables should be laid to the Department about a month back, no final decision has been taken, said a source.