NewsKarnataka-Mangalore
Mangalore : The RTI activist P S Haneef Saheb, has exposed two scams in MESCOM and has alleged that the MESCOM was supplying power unauthorisedly to Kasturba Medical College despite the raid and also was supplying electricity unauthorisedly to mobile towers set up on rooftops of buildings.
Speaking to reporters at the Press Club on March 22, Saturday, he said the MESCOM has failed to take action despite the recent raid on KMC for drawing power unauthorisedly. A copy of the documents obtained in this regard were also produced before the media.
Here it is worth mentioning that the MESCOM Vigilance Department had raided the Manipal Dental College on December 9 last year, acting upon a complaint by Haneef Saheb. Following inspection, the complaint was found true and the KMC was directed to pay a fine of Rs 3.45 crores.
During the raid the officials had found that the KMC Hospital was supplying power illegally to the Manipal College of Dental Sciences and Hospital since 2006.
Though the KMC had legal power connection, the College of Dental Sciences was not granted electricity connection and was drawing power from the main college unauthorisedly.
After the fine was imposed, the KMC had moved the court and Haneef says RTI query has revealed that it has not yet cleared the fine amount but was making false claims before the court.
Haneef says the MESCOM instead of collecting the fine amount from KMC allowed to it move the court. It is learnt, the KMC had even addressed a letter to MESCOM stating that the Dental college was in the same behind while an RTI query has revealed that it was located behind KMC, Attavar.
Even in case the two buildings are in the same compound, still permission from MESCOM to draw power is essential, says Haneef. He alleges that the MESCOM had colluded with the KMC in this issue and has given it another chance to appeal before CHESCOM in the event the institution was not happy over the fine amount imposed.
The RTI activist also furnished documents to prove that there was no permission to provide power connections to mobile towers on roof tops from 2010-2013 and alleged that power connections are still being provided to several towers.
