Kalimpong, Jan. 24: Hotels here have been asked by the West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd to pay their electricity dues accumulated during the non-co-operation movement for Gorkhaland enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha by January 29.
The company has primarily targeted the hotels and restaurants of town. The notice states that if power bills up to October 2011 are not paid within January 29, connection will be disconnected.
As part of the non-co-operation movement from April 2008 to July 2011, the people of the Darjeeling hills had been asked not to pay power and telephone bills and sales tax. The notices to clear the dues were issued by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
Sources said the distribution utility had decided to realise the dues in the hills at a meeting in Calcutta on December 26 last year. The power utility also decided to accept payments in installments.
The Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association of Kalimpong said each of its 45 members had dues ranging from Rs 2 lakh to over Rs 5 lakh. “Our members have received the notices from the electricity board in the last few days. We are law-abiding citizens and prior to the agitation had always paid our bills on time. It was at the call of the Morcha that we were forced to stop paying our bills to extend our support to the statehood agitation. Now that we are being asked to clear the dues, the party must come to our aid and settle the matter once and for all,” said the president of the association, Sanjogita Subba.
A team of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kalimpong (HORAK) today met with GJM spokesperson and MLA Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri.
Kalimpong MLA and Morcha spokesman Harka Bahadur Chhetri said he would take up the matter with the power minister in Calcutta soon.
The notice signed by the company’s managing director has been met with strong criticism from hill CPI (M) leader Tara Sundas.
He said, “The meeting on December 26, 2012 at Vidyut Bhawan in Kolkata had resolved several things. Among them was the issuing of notices to residents for paying unpaid dues. GJM chief Bimal Gurung had earlier directed the people not to make payments and he should now take the responsibility of clearing all pending bills. While signing the GTA accord, the GJM leadership had also stressed the people need not pay the bills accrued before August 2011. But the electricity department had continued sending bills of that period to consumers.”
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| Earlier, GJM Mahakuma Samiti had assured residents of Kalimpong of ascertaining the reasons for such huge amounts and find a feasible solution |
As part of the non-co-operation movement from April 2008 to July 2011, the people of the Darjeeling hills had been asked not to pay power and telephone bills and sales tax. The notices to clear the dues were issued by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
Sources said the distribution utility had decided to realise the dues in the hills at a meeting in Calcutta on December 26 last year. The power utility also decided to accept payments in installments.
The Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association of Kalimpong said each of its 45 members had dues ranging from Rs 2 lakh to over Rs 5 lakh. “Our members have received the notices from the electricity board in the last few days. We are law-abiding citizens and prior to the agitation had always paid our bills on time. It was at the call of the Morcha that we were forced to stop paying our bills to extend our support to the statehood agitation. Now that we are being asked to clear the dues, the party must come to our aid and settle the matter once and for all,” said the president of the association, Sanjogita Subba.
A team of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kalimpong (HORAK) today met with GJM spokesperson and MLA Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri.
Kalimpong MLA and Morcha spokesman Harka Bahadur Chhetri said he would take up the matter with the power minister in Calcutta soon.
The notice signed by the company’s managing director has been met with strong criticism from hill CPI (M) leader Tara Sundas.
He said, “The meeting on December 26, 2012 at Vidyut Bhawan in Kolkata had resolved several things. Among them was the issuing of notices to residents for paying unpaid dues. GJM chief Bimal Gurung had earlier directed the people not to make payments and he should now take the responsibility of clearing all pending bills. While signing the GTA accord, the GJM leadership had also stressed the people need not pay the bills accrued before August 2011. But the electricity department had continued sending bills of that period to consumers.”
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