KL Report
SRINAGAR
As from north to south of Kashmir valley, the consumers allege that they are not being supplied adequate power supply despite charging huge fee sums, CPI (M) has expressed concern over the situation where ““it seems the administration is hell-bent upon to keep the people into sustained darkness.”
CPI (M) State Secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami in a statement on Tuesday has said that people living in rural and far flung areas are without electricity and even areas receiving erratic power supply are for the most of the time facing numerous problems on account of low voltage compelling people to arrange alternative sources of illumination during the hours, they receive electricity. He said that the same situation is being repeated during every winter soon after the offices move to Jammu and the people of the Valley are left helpless being devoid of basic amenities, especially the power and essential commodities.
“There is no power schedule being followed on ground and even metered areas are facing long and unscheduled power cuts much to the annoyance of public,” he said, adding that transmission and distribution system has also deteriorated thereby depriving the consumers of vital electricity facility.
Tarigami blamed the faulty policies of PDD for the damages of electricity transformers. “The department has never bothered to install electricity transformers proportionate to the growing population which could have prevented the damages to a large extent. And unfortunately where ever these transformers are required, the administration is creating hurdles in installation, despite the feasibility reports dashed by the department and money earmarked by the concerned legislators.”
“Power Development Department (PDD) has failed to create a buffer stock of electricity transformers at Divisional level to address the situation surfaced due to damaged transformers. The step-down transformers, installed in every neighborhood develop technical snags and the consumers are left helpless in darkness and freezing cold till the process of lifting, repairing and re-installing a faulty transformer is completed in months together,” he said.
Pertinently, people living in every part of the valley allege that they are compelled to reel under darkness even the metered areas are facing the unscheduled power cuts.
On the other hand the power department is advising people not to ‘misuse’ the energy. The department uses state run electronic media for its appeals and ‘threats’ against the consumers found ‘misusing’ power.
“Where comes the misusing of it when there is no electricity,” asked a consumer from Rajbagh area of the city.
In south Kashmir’s Kulgam district also people allege that they seldom see the electricity. “We have to pay Rs 380 per month but we seldom see the electric light,” a consumer from Homeshali Bugh village told Kashmir Life. He added that the department is there only to collect the charges but it is not supplying power against these charges.
