Consumers question who will bear penalties, seek probe; authorities call issue serious, promise action
TAUSEEF AHMAD
BANDIPORA, Jan 16: Electricity consumers in Saderkoot Bala area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have expressed grave concern over what they allege are serious irregularities in the deposit and reflection of electricity bill payments, after repeated dues continued to appear on their bills despite timely payments over the past three months.
Aggrieved residents told Kashmir Despatch that they have been regularly depositing their monthly electricity bills at the local branch of J&K Bank, yet the Power Development Department (PDD) continues to show the same amounts as unpaid in subsequent bills. The issue, they said, has not only caused confusion and financial stress but has also triggered fear of power disconnections due to being wrongly labelled as defaulters.
According to the residents, every new bill issued by the PDD continues to carry previous dues, even though receipts are available as proof of payment. “We have paid our bills month after month without delay, but the dues keep reappearing. It feels like our payments have vanished,” said a local shopkeeper, adding that the threat of electricity disconnection looms large despite consumers having fulfilled their obligations.
Several affected consumers echoed similar concerns, stating that repeated visits to both the bank and the PDD offices have yielded no relief so far. “The system keeps showing us as defaulters. This is mentally disturbing and financially draining, especially for daily wage earners and small traders,” another resident said.
Locals have alleged that the amount collected at the bank was not properly transferred to the PDD, raising suspicions about the handling of public money. Some residents went a step further, accusing a bank staff member of misappropriating the deposited funds, and demanded that transaction records, receipts, and remittance details of the past three months be thoroughly audited to trace where the payments actually went.
The residents have sought clarity on who will be held accountable for any late payment penalties, surcharge amounts, or potential disconnections arising out of what they term as “administrative or institutional failure.”
When contacted, the Branch Manager of J&K Bank, Saderkoot Bala, declined to comment, stating that he was not authorised to brief the media on the matter.
However, J&K Bank’s Public Relations Officer, Naseer Javaid, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. He assured that the matter would be resolved within half an hour and said that strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible after verification.
The incident has raised serious questions about the reliability and transparency of bill collection and remittance mechanisms at the grassroots level. Residents have urged the authorities to conduct a time-bound and impartial inquiry, immediately update the electricity billing database by adjusting all cleared payments, and ensure that consumers are not harassed or penalised for lapses beyond their control.
They have also demanded stronger checks and accountability mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, warning that public trust in essential service delivery systems is at stake if the issue is not addressed promptly and transparently.
