Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 26: As the Power Development Department (PDD) authorities have failed to solve the power woes in dozens of villages of Shopian district people living in these villages have been forced to pool money and buy transformers as well as wires from the market.
“We are fed up with the callous attitude of PDD officials, that was why we purchased transformers from the local market by collecting funds house to house,” Rafiq Ahmad Sheikh, a villager said.
“We collected Rs. 3,500 from each house to get a new transformer that could meet the ever increasing power demand of the villages due to the expansion of villages, development of new hamlets in the area and explosion of population,” Shabir Bhat, a local resident said.
Khurshid Shah, of village Awend said, “We had one 63 KV transformer for 125 households in our village and demand for the power supply was more than its capacity. We requested PDD to provide us with another transformer, but all requests fell to deaf ears. So, we decided to pool money and got another transformer.”
He also said that the village committee ran from pillar to post including concerned MLA for months together but to no avail. Not only the villagers had to pool money for purchasing of item required, but have to fill the pockets of PDD employees to get their connection registered.
A PDD official on the condition of anonymity said that more than two dozen private transformers have been purchased by people from the market in the Shopian District. He said that Rs. 30 lakh have been collected by ten villages to purchase transformers at private level.
When contacted Gulzar Ahmad, Executive Engineer, PDD Shopian said that the department can’t afford to sanction more transformers as demanded by every village committee. He cited reasons like non-availability of required transformers and inappropriate funds with the PDD for the same.
Gulzar said that it is illegal to install private transformers in any area as it adds more pressure on receiving stations and Power Grids, leading to the failure of grids.
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