Assam: APDCL disconnects power over non-payment of bills, tea workers demand refund

A major scam has emerged involving the electricity charges for the residences of workers at Powai Tea Estate in the Margherita subdivision of Tinsukia district. The families of the 1,210 tea garden workers at Powai Tea Estate had been having money deducted from their salaries every fortnight for electricity fees connected to their residences. 

However, the funds collected for electricity charges were deposited by the garden authorities at the APDCL office in Margherita. 

Workers at the Powai Tea Estate, Prahlad Mahananda, Bimal Gowala, Jharia Uraon, Rafal Tanti, Nakul Das and Khageshwar Gogoi, on April 10, 2018 handed over a letter to the manager demanding the return of the money deducted from their salaries for electricity bills. According to Hari Nanda Gorh, Secretary of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch, the manager of the garden had been issuing cheques for an amount of Rs. 1,43,38,428.65 every month to the electricity bill reader, Jayanta Parmanik, until June 20, 2023. This information was revealed during a press meeting at the office on Friday.

The APDCL Margherita, on July 2023, disconnected the electricity connection of the worker quaters of Powai Tea Estate due to non payment of electricity bills for many years, said Hari Nanda Gorh. 

After an inquiry, authorities revealed that the manager of Powai Tea Estate had handed over the entire amount of money deducted from workers' salaries for electricity bills to Jayanta Parmanik. However, it was discovered that Parmanik had not deposited the full amount at the APDCL Margherita office. According to the APDCL Margherita office, from February 2021 to June 2023, Parmanik deposited less than Rs. 29,84,390.10, despite collecting a total of Rs. 64,62,295.86 from the manager of Powai Tea Estate. This discrepancy has resulted in a significant issue regarding unpaid electricity bills, as reported by Hari Nanda Gorh.

Since January 2018, the APDCL Margherita office has not disclosed how much money Jayanta Parmanik deposited during this period, despite numerous financial irregularities attributed to him. Consequently, the workers of Powai Tea Estate have demanded that the manager arrange for a refund of the deducted amounts, as stated by Hari Nanda Gorh.

On July 22, an FIR was lodged at Digboi Police Station by the tea garden workers of Powai Tea Estate. The FIR detailed that six individuals—Prahlad Mahananda, Bimal Gowala, Jharia Uraon, Rafal Tanti, Nakul Das, and Khageshwar Gogoi—who had appointed Jayanta Parmanik as the electricity bill reader, are involved in this large-scale scam. Unfortunately, as of now, the Digboi police have not arrested anyone. The Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch committee has urged the Digboi police and Margherita sub-divisional administration (civil) to take immediate and stringent action against those involved in the scam. They have also called on the management of Powai Tea Estate to arrange for the refund of the money deducted from workers' salaries for electricity bills, as stated by Hari Nanda Gorh, Secretary of the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Margherita branch.