Electricity snapped off at school where APJ Kalam studied due to 'non-payment of bill'

The school where former President APJ Abdul Kalam began his education has gone without electricity for the past two days with supply being snapped owing to non-payment of consumption charges.

Power supply to the Mandapam Panchayat Union Middle School (No 1) was disconnected by the electricity department as the local body had not paid bill dues for over two years, education department officials said on Thursday.

The late 'Missile Man', a native of this island, had studied in the school, when it was an elementary school decades ago.

Officials said the Panchayat Union had to pay arrears to the tune of Rs 10,500 per year which had accumulated for over two years and hence they were forced to disconnect supply.

Panchayat Union officials said the dues would be settled immediately and electricity would restored by Friday.

Students of the middle school, where Kalam had inaugurated a library and a computer room in January 2011, were put to hardship due to lack of power supply.

This is the second time power supply had been disconnected to the school in recent years for non-payment of bills, the previous occasion being two years ago.

The village education committee, however, told ANI that they stopped paying the electricity bill after the Tamil Nadu government took up the responsibility.

"Earlier we used to pay the bill but stopped doing that after state government took up responsibility for it. Now pending bills are more than Rs 10,000. We contacted the Electricity Board and they have agreed to provide electricity only for five more days," village education committee president said.