Imphal East locality/Leikai beats the power blues
Namdulong shows the way to others
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 16 2009: No doubt the whole State is reeling under an acute power shortage with load shedding a daily affair, but a quiet locality in Imphal East has demonstrated that if the citizens co-operate with the Government and does not shy away from their responsibilities then welfare measures may be taken up comfortably.

Namdulong locality in ward number 26 of Imphal Municipality Council in Imphal East enjoys uninterrupted power supply, albeit for one hour daily, thanks to a joint effort taken up by the local people and the Power Department.

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Located just to the west of Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, the people of this locality have been paying their power tariff regularly working in close tandem with the Power Department.

It was not like this earlier.

Like every other Leikai or locality, Namdulong too had its fair share of complaints over power shortage, break down of transformers etc.

Though the Namdulong Development Committee put their heads together and from 2007 started collecting all the outstanding power tariff from the people of the area and deposited the same to the Power Department, things did not improve with transformers conking off and power supply remaining erratic.

To set things right, a meeting between the people of Namdulong and officers of the Power Department was held in March last year.

During the meeting it was decided that the village court (Thoubei) would settle all cases related to not paying power tax and power theft in the locality.

Since then the people have been sticking to the regulations laid down by the village court, said the joint secretary of Namdulong Development Committee, Disingam Gangmei, while talking to The Sangai Express today.

Some of the main regulations the villagers have to abide by include, using only CFL bulb or tube bulb, ban on use of heater, rice cooker, immersion rod etc.

Violators are imposed traditional fines which may include a pig of a certain size and weight, one pitcher of traditional wine etc.

The same fines are imposed in case of power theft too, said Gangmei.

Namdulong has 97 households and each house does not have more than 4/5 CFL bulbs.

The same bulb is used for street lighting.

The power tariff are collected by the Committee and deposited at the Power Department.

Anyone with earlier outstanding bills have to pay up in installments, said Gangmei.

In case anyone is found illegally tapping power, the Committee members first pull off the wire and the power supply is not restored until and unless the outstanding dues are cleared.

Moreover no one is allowed to tap power haphazardly.

All connections have to be made from the post.

Thanks to the special steps taken up, Namdulong experiences power cut for only about an hour a day, that too when the power line has to be changed.

All the inhabitants put aside a part of their earning every month so that they are in a position to pay the tariff whenever the time comes.

It is now only a question of when the Power Department will be able to deliver bill on time.

Earlier, the Power Department had agreed that a certain percentage of the tax collected would be given to the Committee but so far this has not been implemented.

On the other hand it has come to light that 19 employees of the Jail Department have been drawing their salaries without producing the no due certificates.

The SP Jail has reportedly ordered that until all the outstanding dues are cleared, their salaries would be blocked.

The SP took up the steps, after the Power Dept wrote to the officer highlighting the matter.