Political establishment is insensitive on issue of Electricity Department @admrdddnh

In my last blog I had mentioned letter submitted to the Administrator of Daman & Diu regarding publishing of WHITE PAPER on Electricity Department, Administration of Daman & Diu and copy of the same was also submitted to political parties in Daman.

Copies were submitted to Shri Lalubhai Patel (Member of Parliament), Shri Gopal Dada, President of Daman & Diu Pradesh BJP, Shri Vasubhai Patel, General Secretary, Daman & Diu Pradesh BJP and Shri Ketan Patel, President of Daman & Diu Pradesh Congress Committee.

It is disheartening to note that even on issues critical like electricity and even after lapse of 15 days there has been no communication in this regard from any of them.This shows there attitude towards problems and apprehensions of people of Daman & Diu.

It cannot be said for sure but it appears that all are already manged by the Administration and no one is loyal towards people of Daman & Diu and are servants of the Administration. ("વેચાય ગયેલા")

Request to publish WHITE PAPER on present status regarding working, profit & loss, assets, etc. of Electricity Department of Daman & Diu and proposed Daman & Diu Power Distribution Corporation Limited @admrdddnh

Abstract of letter submitted to the Administrator

Respected Shri Prafullbhai,

With reference to above mentioned subject, citizens of Daman & Diu are eager to know following regarding Electricity Department, Administration of Daman & Diu and Daman & Diu Power Distribution Corporation Limited through White Paper:

A)    Electricity Department, Administration of Daman & Diu:

1)      Total length of power distribution line

2)      Total connections in various categories

3)      BPL connections in Daman district

4)      BPL connections in Diu district

5)      Substations with capacity and locations

6)      Man power available in various categories

7)      Profit / loss in last 5 years

8)      Present power available from different sources

9)      Present power consumption and requirement

10)  Estimated power requirement for next 5 years

11)  Advantage of having electricity department

12)  Disadvantage of having electricity department

B)     Daman & Diu Power Distribution Corporation Limited:

1)      Proposed shareholding pattern

2)      Proposed share capital

3)      Envisaged benefit

4)      Proposed guaranteed profit which will be transferred to the Exchequer every year keeping power tariff at present rate

5)      Advantage and disadvantage of creating corporation

6)      After how many years this corporation will be sold to private players

It has come to knowledge that Electricity Department has made profit of Rs. 154 crores in last year keeping power tariff amongst the lowest in country, which shows efficiency of the department.

It is also observed that the Electricity Department have outsourced many of works like meter reading, bill generating and despatching, maintenance, etc. The department has work of monitoring of all agencies and complaints complying only.

Union Territories of Daman & Diu are small territories having total area of approximately 100 Sq. Kms. only. If administration cannot manage such a miniscule department in such small territories in comparison to other states then head of department and his boss is not competent enough for the their respective posts and hence should resign to make way for somebody who is competent to manage Electricity Department profitably.

Hence, your kind self is requested to publish WHITE PAPER on the subject mentioned above covering all points mentioned hereinabove.

Only capabilities left with Public works Department of Daman & Diu is preparation of Estimates @admrdddnh

Once upon a time, Public Works Department of Daman & Diu was the nodal agency which executed civil and other allied works for all government departments.

They prepare estimates and execute works / projects for various departments. PWD prepares estimates even now but after preparation of estimates and Administrative Approval & Expenditure Sanction, project is handed over to M/s. O.I.D.C. Ltd. (a Govt. undertaking) for execution.

Why hand over projects to M/s O.I.D.C. Ltd.?

Is a PWD, Daman & Diu lacks capability to execute projects?

Are they good for nothing?

If they do not have capabilities, why not close down the whole department and why not save crores of rupees of tax payers’ money?

Is the King above the law? @admrdddnh

The PIO, Administrator’s Secretariat, Administration of Daman & Diu is a King, sorry Queen. No one should ask her anything, you will never get the desired information, not even under RTI Act, 2005.

This is the experience of many people, applications will sometimes get transfer and back many times, but the applicant will not get the information.

Many a time applicant will not know what has happened to the application. There will be no information, no reply, no transfer, nothing. It appears as if there is no such application existed, it just vanishes in thin air.

I would like to know, if anyone out there ever got desired information from the PIO, Administrator’s Secretariat without the application being transferred or before preferring appeal?

Extortion by DMC in collection of Property Tax @admrdddnh

Municipal councils collect Property Tax to generate revenue for them, out of that revenue they carry out development works.

The Property Tax increases once that property is let out. It is a nice way to generate extra revenue, it's a win – win situation for the councils and landlords, but the problem starts when municipal councils collect extra tax even after the lease period is over and that property is vacant.

Municipal councils take lease deed before granting commercial license, wherein the lease amount and lease period is mentioned. Now, after completion of the lease period if both parties agree not to renew the agreement, that property becomes non-occupied. When the next time landlord goes to pay the Property Tax he is charged taxes as per increased taxes even though the property is vacant and the landlord has to pay since objecting and refusal to pay will land him in more trouble like penalty and interest.

When they have lease deed with them, why can’t they make necessary changes in collection of taxes accordingly? Why punish taxpayers for the inability of their‘s?

Cloudburst has laid open false talk of government machinery in Daman @admrdddnh

Cloudburst on the night of 1^st August 2016 has laid open tall talk and big claims made by various Government machinery.

Prominently following offices failed in their claims:

1)      Disaster Management Team: There was nobody on the road to help people from a flood like situation. People had to help each other to escape from water clogging.

2)     Daman Municipal Council: There were no pre-monsoon works carried out as evident from the water clogging and creation of flood like situation. Further, the haphazard manner in which development works are carried out has also played its part.

3)     Public works Department: The unplanned manner and poor quality of works carried out has played havoc. Roads are unlevelled, waterways are blocked due to dividers and speed breakers which do not have provision for water to pass from them. It seems that they have no engineers with common sense.

4)     Town & Country Planning Department: This department is the burden on the Exchequer. They have not made their presence felt; people remember them for suspension of the then HOD on corruption charges long back. What works they do they themselves may not know.

Failure of Disaster Management team in Daman @admrdddnh

There was total failure of Disaster Management team in Daman during cloud burst on the night of 1st August 2016.

There were no Government officers seen anywhere in Daman during time of heavy rain and flood like situation.

People were seen clearing obstacles from the water ways, opening manholes of storm water drains, clearing water from homes, etc. in the middle of the night.

But there were no one from the Disaster Management team to help them. It was rightly noted by one newspaper some days back that there is nowhere Disaster Management is seen in Daman.

Thank God! that rain pressure was reduced in the morning otherwise, there was nobody to save Daman.