J&K government Friday withdrew an order issued in 2013 allowing its non gazetted employees, residing in government quarters at Srinagar and Jammu, to pay electricity charges at flat rates.
The directive, issued in furtherance of Administrative Council decision No 56/5/2023 dated June 21, 2023, has come into force with immediate effect. “The Government Order No 301-GAD of 2013, dated February 20, 2013, pertaining to the payment of electricity charges by government employees residing in government quarters at Srinagar and Jammu at flat rates, is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” read an order issued by GAD Commissioner Secretary Sanjeev Verma.
As per Government Order No 301-GAD of 2013 dated February 2, 2013, which was in furtherance of cabinet decision number 24/05/2013 dated February 18, 2013, the non-gazetted move employees were to be charged at flat rates for consumption of electricity at specified slab rates.
In case of one room tenement, non gazetted Move employees were supposed to pay Rs 250 per month while the prescribed slab rates in case of two-room and three-room tenements were Rs 400 and Rs 700 respectively. In case of the tenement on a sharing basis, the rent was to be shared equally on a 50:50 basis.
As per 2013 order, these flat rates were not applicable to gazetted move employees, non-move employees and other tenant consumers and they were supposed to pay tariff on metered rates.
The said (2013) order had specified that the dispensation of flat rates would be “an interim measure and in the first instance covering both Darbar moves i.e., May, 2012 and November, 2012.” There would be a review of the flat rate dispensation at regular intervals depending on the timely and prompt payment of tariff so fixed for the move employees.
It had further specified that the Power Development Department would keep an account of monthly metered consumption and raise the bills in respect of each employee detailing their actual power consumption; total amount of power tariff; the amount to be paid by employee and net amount to be paid by the government in the Estates Department.
By virtue of this order, the Finance Department was asked to provide budgetary support to the Estates Department to the extent of power tariff to be paid to the Power Development Department beyond the flat rates fixed for one room, two room and three room tenements under occupation of non-gazetted employees.
Notably, the UT government has already abolished the annual Darbar move process. Besides, in October, 2022, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh had revised the power tariff.
As per JERC order, the rates for Below Poverty Line consumers were kept uncharged at Rs 1.25 for up to 30 units per month while for domestic category consumers, for up to 200 units per month, the rate was fixed at Rs 2 per unit; for 200 to 400 units per month, the rate was fixed at Rs 3.50 per unit and for more than 400 units per month, it was 3.80 per unit.
The fixed charges were also increased from 5.50 per kW per month to Rs 8 while the charge for flat metering was fixed at Rs 175 for the first quarter kW, with a provision of increase of Rs 200 for every quarter kW till a load of 2 kW, beyond which the consumers would have to pay Rs 500 power charges for every quarter kW.
