THE HEATER IN THE KITCHEN

                                  

THE HEATER IN THE KITCHEN..

No person in J&K ( UT ) can say that he doesn't know what it is. For many decades , we used this tool to save   our fuel costs in the kitchen.Heaters and heating coils were sold everywhere . Even grocery stores sold heating coils needed for replacement.    In one way or the other, electric power was stolen by  all in the UT till 1980s . This theft was also facilitated by lineman or meter readers. The clerk in the revenue collection counter of Electricity Department was also sympathetic  to this theft. If you had an outstanding of 300 hundred rupees in the books of  the Electric  Department , it could be settled by paying just 100 or 120 rupees and some bribe to the dealing clerk  who would give a "No Outstanding" certificate  on the receipt issued by the department . A hook or  Kundi on main  service line was the  accepted reality of existence for many families  .Tampering with meters or bypassing meters was  common feature in households . During morning hours  , voltage dropped to  unbelievable low due to widespread use of heaters in  the kitchens by one and all. All of us were well  trained in using  and making innovations with this appliance. Many families had fitted the heaters in their traditional hearths ( Chulha or Dhaan) . Even our womenfolk were skilled in joining  cut pieces of  heating coils of heaters  in the event of breakdowns or faults . Many families made boilers from the broken or cut pieces of coils . While the rest of the countrymen paid for what they consumed, we believed that electric power was  free .

On 11th July, 2023, Morning Kashmir published from Srinagar wrote this :-

" The J&K government uses funds from its coffers to cover the Rs 4000 Cr income shortfall. According to a senior Power Development Department (PDD) official, the PDD’s income shortfall is concerning since it directly relates to losses. “We spend more than Rs 7,500 Cr on power each year, while our revenue is barely Rs 3000 Cr. Even though many initiatives have been done to close the gap between power purchases and revenue collection, the public still needs to support it. They should stop stealing" , he urged, noting that smart meters were being installed by the government in the UT."

On December 7, 2016  , Kashmir Observer published from Kashmir wrote this :-

."The State Vigilance Commis­sion (SVC) had also directed the government to register criminal cases against those engaged in power theft.Sources said that the power stealing by consumers occurs in posh colonies like Rajbagh, Peerbag, Hyderpora, Hum­hama, Bemina, Jawharnagar, Radio colony, Airport road, and other posh areas of the city.However sources said that the PDD field inspectors and linemen are reluctant to dis­close names of the high-profile power thieves. “There has been a spurt in the installation of heating sys­tems in these areas. Since con­sumers are concerned about in­creased power bills, they often bypass the meters and resort to power theft. We have over the years caught several such peo­ple,” a senior PDD official said instead not to be named. He said that power theft is also being reported in industrial hubs, unauthorized colonies, some rural parts. “I can say that all this is costing the state govern­ment a big sum as a result,” Sources said that the govern­ment has directed the PDP de­partment to target the posh colo­nies and industrial areas to check pilferage of electricity in the city. “For some time we will focus on posh colonies, guesthouses and industrial units rather than slums and resettlement colo­nies,” said senior officials of PDD."

There was resistance the moment "Smart Meters" installation  was started. People resisted to pay for what they consumed . However, by and large, all this is a story of our  past .There should be no  misgiving on this issue in any segment of the society . The opposition to" Smart Meters"  can't be justified by any logic.  We need to pay for what we consume .

( Avtar Mota) 

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