Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation (KPDCL) has come up with a unique strategy to meet its revenue goals for the year. Tired of being criticised for daily power cuts and unable to earn adequate revenue, the power distribution corporation has asked the deputy commissioners of districts across Kashmir to pay salaries to the five lakh government employees and contractors of the Union Territory (UT) only if they have cleared their power bills.
The power shortage was due to low rainfall. As a result, the UT administration has had to spend more than Rs 31,000 crore annually to buy electricity from the Northern Grid to fulfil its needs and to strengthen local supply. Overdue bills have only added to the administration’s woes.
To get its message across, KPDCL has posted on X seeking the support of the deputy commissioners. It has followed up this post with another one addressed to government employees asking them to clear all pending electricity bills.
Starting February, all government employees will have to produce receipts proving they have paid the electricity bill in order to receive their salaries.
In certain districts, such as Anantnag, the instruction has already been communicated to the government employees via a formal circular saying that the district treasury officer will only pass salary bills for February 2024 after receiving a certificate from the district disbursing office regarding bill clearance. The deputy commissioner has taken this opportunity to make the government employees aware of the need to clear pending electricity and water bills to avoid power cuts in the chill of winters.
