Srinagar, Dec 14: Superintending Engineer Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Shabir Ahmad Khan, today clarified that the power distribution wing has no authority to waive off electricity bills or grant exemptions, stating that all billing is done through a centralized online system and payments collected go directly to the government treasury.

Addressing concerns over electricity bills and the recent gathering of consumers at the Lok Adalat, Khan told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that power billing across all 67 subdivisions of Kashmir is fully digitised and transparent. He said KPDCL caters to over 52 lakh consumers, and complete consumer data is maintained in an online billing system that is available in the public domain.

“The distribution wing supplies electricity and raises bills strictly for the power supplied. There is a proper billing mechanism in place, and if consumers fail to pay their bills, power connections are disconnected as per rules,” Khan said.

He explained that KPDCL does not generate electricity on its own. “The government purchases power and supplies it through our system. We only distribute electricity, generate bills, and collect payments from consumers. The money collected does not belong to us; it is deposited directly into the government treasury,” he said.

Khan said that since the revenue collected is not retained by the department, KPDCL has no authority to grant exemptions. “Only the government has the power to announce any waiver or exemption. From time to time, the government introduces relief schemes,” he added.

Referring to past relief measures, the KPDCL official said the Power Development Department had earlier introduced an amnesty scheme, under which many consumers availed benefits. He added that the department can only reduce late payment surcharge, not the principal bill amount.

“When consumers delay bill payments, the department has to pay interest to power suppliers. If bills are paid on time, there is no surcharge at all,” Khan said.

He recalled that in 2022, the government reviewed the situation and introduced a scheme allowing consumers to clear dues in 12 instalments, excluding late payment surcharge, as a relief measure.

Commenting on the recent approach by some consumers to the Lok Adalat, Khan said the department was unclear why the forum was approached. “Lok Adalats are meant to resolve disputes, not to grant amnesty or exemptions in electricity bills,” he clarified.

KPDCL reiterated that timely bill payment is essential to ensure uninterrupted power supply and financial sustainability of the system, urging consumers to utilise government schemes whenever announced and clear dues within stipulated timelines. [KNT]

Srinagar, Dec 14: A Police team of Station Awantipora, headed by SHO PS Awantipora, under the supervision of SDPO Awantipora, arrested nine persons, involved in illegal mining activities at Padgampora.

According to the statement, the arrested persons have been identified as Muzaffar Ahmad Dar, son of  Ghulam Mohammad Dar, resident of  Kandizal; Shahid Ahmad Hurra, son of  Mohammad Mustafa Hurra, resident of  Dangerpora; Gulzar Ahmad Dar, son of  Aima Dar, resident of Kandizal; Nawaz Ahmad Dar, son of  Ghulam Mohammad Dar, resident of Kandizal; Mohd Abdullah Dar, son of  Ghulam Ahmad Dar, resident of  Kandizal; Shakir Ahmad Dar, son of  Ali Mohammad Dar, resident of  Bijbehara; Gowhar Ahmad Dar, son of  Ghulam Mohammad Dar, resident of  Bijbehara; Manzoor Ahmad Dar, son of  Abdul Gani Dar, resident of  Bijbehara; and Jan Mohammad Dar, son of  Mohammad Ramzan Dar, resident of Kandizal.

A case vide FIR No. 272/2025 has been registered at Police Station Awantipora under the relevant sections of law, the statement reads.

Srinagar, Dec 13: Commissioner, Drug and Food Administration (DFA), Jammu and Kashmir, Smita Sethi urged the public not to panic over reports of adulterated eggs, saying that investigations are underway and no eggs from the company Eggoz have been found in Kashmir so far.

Sethi said that unnecessary panic would only create confusion and worsen the situation. She said the department is actively working on the issue and laboratory reports will determine the actual status of egg samples being collected. “Let the reports come. We are working on it and will inform the public accordingly,” she said.

The Commissioner said that a special drive to collect egg samples is currently underway and will continue for another two to three days. She said samples collected will be tested in accredited laboratories to determine whether they are fit for human consumption or contaminated. “So far, we have not found egg products from Eggoz company in Kashmir, and we do not even know the source of these reports,” she added.

Sethi said the department will also examine the feed being given to hens, including the use of antibiotics. She clarified that while antibiotics are permitted within prescribed limits, any violation beyond the allowed threshold will invite strict action. “We do not yet know whether this is a stray incident or a regular feature. It will take at least two weeks for the full picture to emerge,” she said.

Citing previous enforcement actions, the Commissioner said the department regularly conducts tests even if they do not always become public. She recalled that action was taken earlier against specific batches of Priya Gold biscuits and Ajwa drinking water after laboratory testing. “An adulterated batch does not mean the entire supply chain of a product is unsafe,” she said.

She explained that prohibitions are imposed batch-wise and district-wise based on laboratory findings. “Every supplier has a batch number and such batches are usually limited to specific districts, not across the entire Union Territory,” she said, adding that a UT-wide ban is issued only when contamination is established at a larger scale. “If required, I will personally issue a UT-wide ban order,” she said.

Sethi reiterated that all testing is being conducted in accredited laboratories and assured that the public will be informed transparently about any contaminated products. She again appealed to people not to panic, saying the department is closely monitoring the situation and will take action wherever violations are confirmed. [KNT]

Jammu, Dec 14: Jammu and Kashmir government’s public grievance redressal platform, JK Samadhan, has received over 1.02 lakh grievances in 2025, with 88,091 cases resolved, translating into an overall disposal rate of 86.27 per cent, officials said on Sunday.

A comparative month-wise trend analysis showed consistent citizen engagement, with grievance inflow peaking at 7,087 cases in February and sustained levels in subsequent months, the officials said.

They said the information was shared at a meeting chaired by chief secretary Atal Dulloo to review the functioning of the JK Samadhan public grievance redressal system here.

The meeting took an extensive assessment of grievance disposal performance across departments, districts, and their allied offices.

The Department of Public Grievances (DoPG) informed the meeting that the platform has received 1,02,110 grievances till December 11, of which 88,091 have been redressed, reflecting an overall disposal rate of 86.27 percent.

The redressal patterns were also analysed separately for Samadhan-origin grievances (87.59 percent disposal) and Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System linked grievances (76.35 percent disposal), the officials said.

The chief secretary appreciated the progress in district-level citizen registration under JK Samadhan, noting that several districts have achieved exemplary household coverage with Ganderbal leading with 115 percent, Shopian (105 percent), and Kishtwar (101 percent).

The overall registration coverage across the Union Territory stands at 69 percent of target households.

The meeting reviewed department-wise grievance loads and disposal efficiency.

Key departments such as revenue, PWD (R&B), rural development, power development, housing and urban development, home, and Jal Shakti reported the highest grievance traffic and were directed to ensure faster disposal and improvement in public satisfaction ratings, the officials said.

They said several departments displayed strong performance, maintaining disposal rates above 85 percent, while others were instructed to reduce pendency further.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to accountable and citizen-centric governance, Dulloo stressed that timely, transparent, and empathetic grievance redressal is a core responsibility of every department.

He said JK Samadhan has emerged as the central platform for transparent citizen-services monitoring and emphasised the need to further streamline responsiveness, improve appeal mechanisms, and enhance integration with CPGRAMS for seamless grievance handling.

He urged all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, and district administrations to bring down pendency levels, improve departmental communication with complainants, and ensure that every grievance stands resolved up to the satisfaction of the complainants.

The chief secretary also reviewed the citizen feedback dashboard, which recorded feedback on 8,704 grievances.

While many departments received favourable satisfaction ratings and high responsiveness scores, certain departments were advised to improve citizen communication, especially in cases where users reported not receiving follow-up calls or messages from officials, the officials said.

Awantipora, Dec 14: Police in Awantipora have presented a challan in case FIR No. 86/2025, registered under Sections 2/3 of the EIMCO Act, before the Court against 40 accused persons who were allegedly involved in anti-national activities, officials said on Sunday.

According to police, the accused had allegedly crossed the border into Pakistan for illegal arms training and did not return thereafter.

A police spokesperson said that the investigation in the case was conducted by SHO Police Station Awantipora, under the supervision of SDPO Awantipora. Upon completion of all legal formalities, the challan has been submitted for judicial proceedings.

J&K Police remain committed to taking firm and lawful action against offenders and ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law.