Out(r)age before exams: DU college’s power supply may be cut

Out(r)age before exams: DU college’s power supply may be cut

Mohammad.Ibrar@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:10.09.2020

Delhi University’s open-book (online) examinations are set to begin from September 14, and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College in Dwarka may have its electricity supply disconnected a day before that for failing to pay power bills. The college, fully funded by Delhi government, has accumulated dues of over Rs 46 lakh over five months. The principal pleaded that despite numerous pleas, the state government hadn’t released adequate funds, leaving it with an overall deficit of Rs 21 crore. The college has already had its telephone connection terminated due to non-payment of bills.

A few days ago, the college found a BSES notice for disconnection of electric supply under Section 56 (1) of the Electricity Act, 2003, stuck on the main gate, giving the institution 15 days to pay the outstanding amount of Rs 46,38,270 or have the power supply halted.

Speaking to TOI, principal Hem Chand Jain claimed, “Since April 1, Delhi government has only twice given us 80% of the amount required to pay salaries. Other than that, we have received no grants. How can we pay the utility bills?”

Responding to this, a Delhi government official alleged that the government was in receipt of complaints of “serious financial irregularities” in DDU College and its “accounts are being audited”. The official said, “The electricity bill was due on June 25. Colleges have already been given 25% of their grants, and this covers all payments of the first quarter. So, the college needs to explain why it hasn’t paid the electricity bill for the first quarter. Where has the money gone?”

A BSES official said that since DDU was an educational institute, the power company had taken a “compassionate view” and had only served the notice as per DERC guidelines. “We are in touch with the college administration to resolve the matter,” the official said.

DDU College is among the 12 in Delhi University that are fully funded by Delhi government. These institutions have frequently complained about not getting adequate funds for five months. Though the Dwarka institution was not functioning since mid-March because of Covid-19, the principal explained, “Many things are still running in the college. We have to use basic lights from sunset to sunrise for security purposes. We need electricity for our laboratories, and there are teachers who come to the college on work. We cannot shut down the 14 elevators in our sevenstorey college building because they are used by the non-teaching and administrative staff.”

Jain added that in the pre-Covid years, the college ran up an electricity bill of over Rs 20 lakh every month. He disclosed that the institution had also received notice to clear the property tax arrears of around Rs 2.9 crore. “If this state of affairs continues, the college will likely witness a dip in the national ranking,” feared Jain, expecting to slip from the 15th spot it got in 2019 in the Union HRD ministry’s all-India NIRF rankings of colleges.

Some colleges and DU Teachers’ Association have periodically protested against Delhi government allegedly not releasing enough funds to the 12 colleges.

PRINCIPAL SAYS

Since April 1, Delhi government has only twice given us 80% of the amount required to pay salaries

GOVT OFFICIAL SAYS

Colleges have already been given 25% of their grants, and this covers all payments of the first quarter