Society fines minister’s wife for illegal power connection

Sindhutai, wife of Union Minister of State for Finance Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, was recently served a notice to pay a fine of Rs 12,500 for illegal power connections.

During a surprise check of her farm in Loni tehsil of Ahmednagar district, the society officials found that against permission for a 3 HP agriculture pump, a pump of 12 HP had been installed by the lady.

She was asked to pay a fine of Rs 12,500 for the irregularity. “After it was confirmed that a pump of higher capacity has been installed, we served a notice to her and also asked her to pay the fine. Since she has paid the fine, the case is closed,” Bhanudas Murkute, Chairman, Mula Pravara Electric Cooperative Society said.

The stringent action taken by the society also assumes political significance since the electric cooperative society, the first of its kind in the cooperative sector, used to be indirectly controlled by Balasaheb Vikhe Patil ever since its inception four decades ago. Until very recently, it was headed by his son and former Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.

In the December 2000 elections of the society, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil’s entire team lost to the group headed by Bhanudas Murkute, a former Congress legislator and now senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Though Murkute denied that the fine was imposed to settle political scores, a senior Shiv Sena leader insisted it was so. “Ever since Murkute took over, he has been targetting the organisations directly and indirectly controlled by Vikhe Patil,” he said.

Murkute however denies the charge. “There is no politics in it. Since there was direct violation, we asked her to pay the fine and she has paid it,” Murkute said.

Even when Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was at the helm of affairs, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board had disconnected the society’s power supply for non-payment. However, following the intervention of Energy Minister Padamsinh Patil, it had been restored.

“We feel Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, when he was the Chairman, was misleading the members. All along, he had maintained that the MSEB had written off the entire arrears. However, now we have received a bill of Rs 673 crore, including the arrears as well as interest thereof,” Murkute said.

Murkute said, at a juncture when the society was passing through anunprecedented financial crisis, there was no alternative before the society except to launch a massive recovery drive. “After I took over, I have asked officials to recover the arrears on top priority. I am sure, with concerted efforts, we will be out of the crisis,” he added.