GEB powerless as Rajkotpolicemen refuse to pay up

RAJKOT, NOV 15: * A GUJARAT Electricity Board meter reader is manhandled by two policemen when he goes to take the reading in a head cons...

RAJKOT, NOV 15: * A GUJARAT Electricity Board meter reader is manhandled by two policemen when he goes to take the reading in a head constable’s house in Ramnathpara police lines. His bill arrears amount to Rs 26,000.

* Another meter reader is roughed up by the guards of an assistant sub- inspector who asks him to disconnect the meter. He is warned of dire consequences if he enters the house again. The ASI’s electricity bill arrears amount to Rs 11,000.

* Of the 1,000-odd

police quarters and houses occupied by Rajkot city police, more than 576 quarters have disconnected their electricity meters, while 200 quarters have not cleared bills for the last five years.POLICE high-handedness is not unheard of. But in Rajkot, they stretch it a bit too far they don’t pay electricity bills and threaten GEB staff. According to deputy superintendent of accounts, revenue section, GEB, R Sampat, the arrears due from quarters and houses occupied by policemen are more than Rs 68 lakh.

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According to GEB sources, of the1,000-odd quarters allotted to policemen in Ramnathpara police lines, Bedi Naka, Shroff Road, Government quarters, Pradumannagar police lines and headquarter police lines, only 400 families regularly pay the bills. “Approximately 20 per cent police quarters have arrears up to Rs 20,000. There are also some quarters in Ramnathpara police lines where unpaid bills run into Rs 40,000 and more. But they are unwilling to pay. We cannot cut their connections because when our staff members go there, they are either roughed up or threatened,” says a technical engineer of Ramnathpara sub-division.

When the issue was brought to the attention of Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha, he initiated the `No Dues Certificate’ for all policemen who are retiring, failing which their pensions will be blocked. “The No Dues Certificate will be issued by the GEB after the occupant of the quarter has paid up his electricity dues. I have made it compulsory that unless they furnish this certificate, their pensions will not becleared,” Sinha told The Indian Express.

“I understand a lot of arrears have accumulated over the years. The negligence has been on the part of both the police department as well as the GEB which failed to recover dues in time,” the police commissioner said.