KL Report
SRINAGAR
The unscheduled power cuts would continue for more next three days in Kashmir valley. Despite of having witnessed unprecedented power fee hike during last three years, power supply has gone bad to worse. Official sources said that Northern gird has asked PDD either to pay all remaining dues or to forget about electricity.
“Unscheduled power cuts will continue for next three days. Northern grid is demanding clearance of remaining balance from PDD. It is true that normal and scheduled power supply is badly affected in Valley”, said PDD officials.
Various committees in downtown have decided and asked people to not pay power fee for this month till PDD authorities publish apologize in print and electronic media for its failure for providing smooth power supply. “PDD should apologize for its efficiency and incapacity for serving common people. Government is distributing salaries to PDD employees in crores but what is the fun to spent this huge public amount if authorities ail to do for what they are being paid”, Abdur Rasheed from downtown told a local news agency, KNS.
Expressing resentment over alleged failure of government to provide scheduled power supply, owners of various business establishments have demanded immediate restoration of power supply as per schedule. “Our industries and factories have suffered huge losses due to unscheduled power cuts. We fail to understand what the hell is going on. On one hand authorities have hiked electricity fee various times in a short span of time and on the other hand it has failed to provide electricity as per schedule”, a delegation of business men told KNS. They said that it shows the seriousness of government for the welfare of economy of State, adding, “Our machinery has become dysfunctional. Generators have stopped working. No manufacturing or other business activity is in operation after this unscheduled power curtailment”.
State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has also come under severe criticism for its ineffective role it was supposed to play. People alleged that hiking unprecedented power fee is only achievement of an autonomous body SERC since its establishment. “SERC was established for better power supply to consumers but ground situation however belied the claim as the majority of areas in the Valley continued to reel under darkness. State Electricity Policy and planning both have failed”, alleged people.
Admitting that Northern Grid has stopped power supply to Valley, PDD Chief Engineer, Muzaffar Ahmad Matoo, said, “There is some technical fault. Scheduled power supply will remain effected for more two to three days”.
