Customers complain about harassment at Prothrapur Sub Division Office
Mohammed Sajid & Tarun Kartick
Port Blair, Nov 19: Encroachment has become a cancer for these Islands and there are officers, who are making profit from this social evil. According to reports, there is a senior officer in Electricity Department who is making profit even from the encroachers. An Assistant Engineer ranked officer, recently came under fire when an lady lodged an official complaint against him for asking half share of encroached land for providing new electric connection.
According to the sources, the said lady had approached the authorities several times for new electricity connection but no one really cared to listen to her. Even her complaint went unheard. Finally when the lady approached the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum (CGRF) and registered a complaint (CGRF/ANI/ SA/32 dated 29/10/2012) against the Assistant Engineer-III, Prothrapur Sub Division, Electricity Department, file moved in lightening speed and she got the connection without any delay.
But before that the CGRF heard the case on 12.11.2012 and in its report dated 14.11.2012, on record, the CGRF stressed the need of investigation on this matter by a competent authority saying “The allegations made by the Complainant against the Assistant Engineer about encroached land needs to be verified by a competent authority.” Sadly even after lapse of one year neither the Electricity Department initiated any inquiry in this regard nor was the Anti-Corruption Department asked to carry out any inquiry in this regard. Such leniency will not only serve as an encouragement for the wrong doers but also discourage public.
Andaman Sheekha contacted Mr. Anand Behari, SE, Electricity Department to know why no enquiry or action was taken against the accused Assistant Engineer. The SE told Andaman Sheekha that they do not have sufficient evidence in this regard that is why no action was taken. But the question which arises here is that when the department was unable to find evidence and investigate properly in this regard why the inquiry was not transferred to the anti corruption unit. The matter does not end here every customer visiting the office of the said Assistant Engineer complain about arrogance of the officer and harassment to public. This is high time for Electricity Department to come to the rescue of public by taking some action against such bad-mouthed officer.
