TSSPDCL cuts power supply to govt offices in Rajendranagar

Rajendranagar: The recovery of overdues of electricity bills from government offices brought the officials of Electricity department and the Revenue officials at loggerheads in Rajendranagar.

While the officials of TSSPDCL disconnected the power supply to several government offices in Rajendranagar, the revenue officials are now weighing options to slap notices on the discom under Telangana Agricultural Land (Conversion for Non-Agricultural) Act-2006, also known as NALA Act, in a tit-for-tat response.

The entire episode has come to light on Friday when the officials of Electricity department cut the power supply to several government offices in one go at Rajendranagar, including the Sub-Registrar office, State Treasury Office and MRO Office, for not paying the electricity dues for a long time.

The out of the blue action of the electricity officials has brought the whole administrative affairs to a standstill at Sub-Registrar and MRO office.

While the registration of lands at the sub-registrar office could not be taken up, the online process of issuing and uploading certificates and other necessary documents also came to a screeching halt at MRO office as the power supply to both the offices was cut abruptly.

It is said that the TSSPDCL has been prompted to act tough against the government offices in Rajendranagar after it found that the offices have not paid the dues for a long time which run into lakhs of rupees.

"While the MRO office in Rajendranagar has dues of over Rs 2.30 lakh, the Sub-Registrar office has to pay over Rs 80 lakh arrears. Despite the reminder that delay in payment of dues will lead to disconnection of power supply, no office took pain to cut a check for payment of dues that prompted the discom to go for such a harsh step," informed an official of TSSPDCL on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the action of TSSPDCL has left the revenue officials high and dry who are now flipping over the rule book to frame the Electricity department with relevant sections under NALA Act in a tit-for-tat response.

According to sources, several sub-stations of TSSPDCL in Rajendranagar are operating allegedly without converting the office premises from agriculture to non-agriculture purpose.

"These sub-stations are operating without converting their agricultural land into non-agricultural purpose which amounts to violation of the NALA Act and attracts penalties. If the TSSPDCL has a right to recover the arrears, they can do so by deducting the amount they owe to the Revenue department for years," said a Revenue official.