Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: Notwithstanding tall claims of those at the helm of affairs in the Power Development Department (PDD), the power crisis has deepened in Jammu at a time when the heat wave is increasing day-by-day thereby making the life of the people virtually a hell.
Everyday there are protests and demonstrations by the people over the power crisis in various parts of Jammu but nobody from the Power Development Department seems to be ready to take steps to provide succor to the people during the scorching heat.
What to talk of the non-metered areas, even the localities where 100% metering of consumers was done several years back, have been reeling under acute power crisis. The intensity of the prevailing situation can be gauged from the fact that an hour of power supply is followed by an hour of power cut.
“Sometimes one hour long power cut is allowed to continue for one and half or two hours without any intimation to the consumers thereby conveying that those at the helm of affairs in the department are least bothered about the difficulties being faced us”, people told EXCELSIOR.
In such a situation when the people try to approach the concerned officers and officials to ascertain the reason behind the prolonging of curtailments nobody picks up the telephone at the grid stations. Even if somebody picks up the phone, the response remains unsatisfactory thereby compelling the people to come on the roads.
“The department has a number of times published the names and mobile numbers of the officers, who are supposed to respond to the public queries but it seems this exercise was only aimed at befooling the people as actually these mobile numbers remain switched off during the hours of emergency”, people said, adding “it is astonishing that officers of the department, which is headed by none else than the Chief Minister, are so non-serious towards the public grievances”.
According to the people, majority of the officers on being approached by the public after repeated attempts, usually express ignorance about the reasons behind the unscheduled and prolonged curtailments and try to pass the bucks on others.
Meanwhile, Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla has written a letter to the Chief Minister seeking his intervention in providing relief to the people from deepening power crisis.
Sources privy to the communication said, “the Housing Minister has apprised the Chief Minister that the PDD don’t follow any scheduled pattern of power cuts”, adding “he has conveyed to Omar Abdullah, who is also holding the power portfolio that ongoing power cuts have made the life of Jammu people in general and inhabitants of his constituency in particular virtually hell”.
“People are regularly complaining about the frequent power cuts and the anger has reached the climax”, he said, adding “as the heat wave in Jammu is continuing unabated I fear if some corrective action is not taken immediately, their protests may increase further”.
“You may remember that during the last summer when we were faced with similar power crisis, I had requested for corrective measures in the shape of increased power supply. Moreover, I had also suggested a series of steps to contain power crisis. But I don’t know if we have taken any such step”, sources said quoting Bhalla’s letter.
“It is irony that despite paying tariff regularly people are being compelled to face the power cuts”, he said, adding “we cannot allow people to fend for themselves and we should do all that we can to ensure that those who are paying tariff do not suffer”.
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