Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 19: Former minister and senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla today interacted with aggrieved people of Nai Basti area in Satwari who are facing exorbitant power tariff bills in thousands and lakhs and even PDD authorities have disconnected several power installations in the area where a good number of people are daily wagers making both ends meet with utmost hardships.
Inhabitants of the area put forward their grievances including hefty power tariff bills and unscheduled power cuts durig interaction with Raman Bhalla. Prominent among those present on the occasion include Block president Amrit Bali, Vijay Choudhary, Suresh Sharma, Sandeep Dogra, Jagdish Jaggi, Ashwani Honda, Gurpreet Dogra, Surinder Sodi, Parshotam Mehra and Dolly Thakur.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla criticized the callous attitude of J&K Power Development Department for not extending JKPDD Amnesty Scheme for domestic electricity consumers of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. Bhalla further said that the area was supposed to be the model commercial area of the Temple city, but the failure of the civic authorities to maintain sanitation in the lanes, by lanes and delay in improving infrastructure has created unhealthy conditions.
Expressing serious concern over scarcity of essential commodities, grim power and water supply, former minister said that the administration must come out of deep slumber and infuse responsiveness and an element of accountability in its machinery in order to mitigate the sufferings of people. Bhalla said that the Amnesty Scheme was announced by the PDD in 2020 to curb the power theft. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 outbreak has spread across the globe as well to the UT of J&K. The pandemic has caused mass disruptions to the nation’s economy, its trade, industry and the lives of citizens. There is no industry or sector of the economy that has been left unaffected by this wave,” he said.
Bhalla asserted that people of all sections of the society having been economically hit due to the corona pandemic and the Government should show compassion and provide special succour particularly to the financially distressed poor and marginalized sections of the society. “The labourers, farmers, small traders, self employed, taxi transport and auto operators, Rehri and Phari owners have been worst affected due to pandemic and no source of earnings during the last many months. The Govt must provide them some relief,” he added.
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