lucknow

Updated: Aug 01, 2019 11:36 IST

Irked after cops imposed a fine of Rs 500 on him for not wearing a helmet, a lineman of the electricity department disconnected power supply to the Line Par police station in Firozabad on Tuesday evening. The police station had power bill arrears of over Rs 6 lakh.

With no power at the police station for five hours, senior cops took up matter with electricity department officials.

“The in-charge of Line Par police station Sanjay Singh verified the arrears to settle the issue,” said Baldev Singh, ASP (Firozabad), Sadar.

Sriniwas, the lineman working on contractual basis, was handed over a challan of Rs 500 by the cops of Line Par police station on Tuesday. He said he was mostly moving around in the lanes for his work and hence could not wear helmet, but the policemen penalised him.

The agitated lineman first made online payment of Rs 500 as penalty and asked fellow staff at the electricity office to ascertain the power dues pending against the Line Par police station. He came to know that the police station was a defaulter with Rs 6,62,463 pending as power dues since January 2016.

Consequently, Sriniwas disconnected power supply to the police station.

“Sriniwas had come to me and expressed inability to pay a fine of Rs 500 as his monthly income was Rs 6,000. We tried to convince cops from Line Par police station, but they did not budge. And this might have led to Sriniwas taking such a step. He did not inform us,” said Ranveer Singh, sub divisional officer (SDO) for electricity department.

Cops said they would complain to electricity department authorities about Sriniwas’ action.

“We will write to senior electricity department officials about such disconnection without notice,” stated Baldev Singh, ASP Firozabad Sadar.

SDO Ranveer Singh informed that the power bill was due since January 2016.

“The in-charge for Line Par police station was requested to verify the bills in the past also, a step required to move the bill for payment. But there was a delay every time. On Wednesday, the in-charge verified the power dues,” stated the SDO.

On the other hand, the policemen complained that excess load of 10 kilowatt had been fixed for the police station while its power consumption was low. But the electricity department said that peak load reached 14 kilowatt because of equipment used at the police station.