Claims there is no power theft, unpaid dues
Morung Express News
Mokokchung | June 13
For the Department of Power, Nagaland (DoPN) to recover arrears from consumers and ensure smooth and timely collection of bills, the All Ward Union Mokokchung Town (AWUMT) on Sunday, suggested that Urban Electricity Management Boards (UEMB) be instituted in all the towns of Nagaland.
According to AWUMT, Mokokchung is the only town in the State where the UEMB has been implemented by the DoPN since 2004.
“In Mokokchung town, there are no power thefts and unpaid dues from any consumer within the UEMBs. All these are done for the larger interest of delivering better public services and timely revenue collection for the department,” said Limanungsang, President of AWUMT.
“The success of this model can be testified by the Mokokchung Electrical Division and thus, the AWUMT requests the competent authority to replicate this model in the whole district and other towns of the State,” he further suggested.
While appreciating the Department for regular and uninterrupted power supply in the town despite many challenges and inconveniences faced, AWUMT expressed dismay at the report of more than 300 crore rupees in unrealized revenue in the State’s power sector as reported by The Morung Express on May 27 last.
“It is disheartening to see the massive amount of revenue in the power sector yet to be realized from the public and private consumers in the State when the department has to purchase and supply this very essential commodity on a daily scale,” AWUMT president observed.
In Mokokchung town, according to AWUMT, the revenue collected and deposited to the department by the eighteen UEMBs under Mokokchung town during January to April 2021 was Rs 1,55,86,632 which comes to an average of Rs 39 lakh per month. It also pointed out that the 118 departments and establishments of both State and central governments and 47 telecom towers within the town were not under the purview of the UEMBs.
The AWUMT also claimed that the office of the Executive Engineer of Mokokchung Electrical Division has clarified that Mokokchung town has no pending arrears in revenue collection.
“In regard to the arrears under Mokokchung district, the office of the Executive Engineer, Mokokchung Electrical Division, has stated that the division has four feeders, namely, Mokokchung Town, Longnak, Yisemyong and Alichen. It has been clarified that UEMBs and VEMBs under Mokokchung Town feeder has no pending arrears but that the arrears are from the other categories or feeders,” AWUMT clarified.
It may be mentioned that Mokokchung district is bifurcated into two Electrical Divisions by the DoPN—Mokokchung Division and Changtongya Division, the latter also includes Longleng district. As reported earlier in The Morung Express, Changtongya Division and Mokokchung Division have outstanding dues of Rs 6,00,48,021 and Rs 5,46,52,268, respectively to be recovered from consumers.
