Blitar –
There are a number of facts about the PLN fine that have infuriated Blitar residents in the western region. They had protested and threatened to prosecute the state-owned company.
Some of the residents who were fined believed that they had not committed any violations. They also suspected that PLN had manipulated the findings of violations.
Here are a number of facts collected detikJatim.
1. Two Violations That Ensnare Citizens
Residents of Blitar in the western region were shocked. Dozens of residents in the Srengat, Ponggok and Udanawu sub-districts were fined millions of rupiah by PLN for the violations they committed.
Residents who were fined suspected that the alleged violations were manipulative. They were reluctant to pay the fine and protested to PLN.
The resident coordinator named Didik said that the dozens of residents were on average accused of committing 2 types of violations that required paying millions of rupiah in fines.
“Dozens of these customers have two problems that were subject to fines. Some were due to moving the meter and some were due to a hole in the cable on top of the meter. Or in other words, they were caught skipping electricity without PLN’s permission. But in my opinion the evidence submitted by PLN is contrived,” said Didik to detikJatim, Friday (5/5/2023).
2. Early Start of Citizen Protest
This case came to the surface when the Mambaul Hikam Udanawu Islamic Boarding School was fined Rp. 10 million for alleged violations of a hole in the cable above the meter and indications that the Islamic boarding school had stolen electricity. The boarding school could not accept that.
Not only accusations of stealing electricity, according to Didik, some residents accused of shifting the meter without permission have also never received socialization from PLN.
Didik, who admits that he understands PLN’s work system, also emphasized that the violation of moving the meter did not harm anyone.
“Regarding moving the meter, it’s PLN’s trick to make money. There’s no harm in moving the meter. Then why should residents who don’t know anything have to pay millions of rupiah in fines?” Didik said.
3. Two Months of Life Without Electricity
Joyo Kailan’s family in Blitar can only surrender. They have been living in a pitch black house without electricity for 2 months because they are unable to pay the fine for moving the meter without a permit imposed by the National Electric Company.
PLN finally cut off the electricity supply to the Joyo family’s house because the family could not afford to pay a fine of Rp. 2.7 million for a violation they did not know about beforehand.
“We, the little people, usually surrender to being beaten (even though it’s in vain),” said Kholil, grandson of Joyo Kailan when met detikJatim.
Kholil said that he and his family did not know about the violation of shifting the meter which resulted in a fine of up to millions of rupiah.
Moreover, according to Kholil, the one who took the initiative to relocate the meter at his grandfather’s collapsed house was also a PLN officer himself.
“If I knew I was being fined like that, I would just let PLN’s meter be damaged by the rain. My intention is to save PLN’s assets. I also procedurally via telephone call center 123. If it ends like this, it’s better to be cut off long ago, it’s okay,” he said .
4. Prepare Evidence for PLN Criminal Case
Not only raiding the Srengat PLN office, Didik emphasized that he and the residents would prepare a number of pieces of evidence and would be penalized if the PLN fine was not removed.
“The point is, if PLN really doesn’t want to remove the fine, we will punish it. We don’t want to be victims of manipulation of findings. It’s a pity that many villagers can’t afford it,” said Didik.
The Deputy Regent of Blitar installed the agency and promised PLN. Read the next page.
(dpe/dte)