Prof Javed Mughal
Enough is enough. Despite spending millions of rupees from the hard-earned exchequer of this nation on the maintenance of the area of electricity just to extend respite to the common masses, we, even after 66 years of independence, are still standing at the same point groping and grappling in the darkness with no adequate power-supply. 5 to 6 hours of power-supply a day is pathetic enough but what is more disgusting is the arrogant indifference of the Management and other responsible quarters. It is not justified to hold the PDD absolutely responsible for the deplorable plight of electricity across the state in general and the suburban areas like Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and certain other areas of Kashmir in particular. To some extent the consumers are also responsible for it since they have ever failed to make a proper use of electricity within the genuine limits. They don’t have any sense of belongingness to the common asset of the country. Their selfish attitude is not only harmful to the country’s common cause but is always sure to prove detrimental to their personal comforts also but, most unfortunately, they have ever utterly failed to understand. It goes without saying that the ones who steal electricity by fixing illegal power-connections in connivance with the concerned linemen are criminals and hence must be dealt with the rod of iron. Those who don’t pay electricity tariff well in time or try to settle the issues, off the record with the corrupt employees of the department concerned, deserve all punishment. There are very strict measures incorporated in the departmental rule book but none comes forward to implement them for the reasons best known to them. The casual and selfish attitude or the innocence of the masses plus routine negligence of the concerned quarters combined together have rendered a great setback to the management system of electricity in the state. The administrative mechanism seems to have been transported into the deep slumber with rare chances to wake up. Even more disgusting is that the poor system-runners don’t get a lesson out of the humiliation they have to face most of the times. I fail to understand as to where have all those who fly their flags high on the hoods of their Ambassador Cars disappeared? Why have those slipped into hibernation who had once pledged to take care of their people’s interests? Where is the one who is steering the wagon of this flop department? The processions have been taken out and slogans have been raised to open the slumberous eyes and deaf ears of the of the concerned flesh-and-blood authorities about the abject failure of the power department to discharge their primary duty but as ill luck would have it, the cries of the sufferers merely collide with the sound-proof walls of the custodians making no positive difference to the plight of the power-consumers. Countless irregular and illegal power-connections are being allowed to the consumers for a very meager amount of bribery by the greedy linemen and inspectors of the department concerned. One gets surprised to note that the blue eyed consumers are openly allowed to use cooking heaters, boilers, Heat Convectors and many power-consuming gadgets but if at all, the rules are implemented, they are implemented against the poor people. When the public gets ethically corrupt, it is futile to expect any morality from them. Those, who are saddled with the duty to take care of the department, need to revive their conscience and do the needful to bring the system back on the rails. The present scenario of electricity has affected almost all the wings of the society. The continuous unscheduled power-cuts have made the life very critical. Labs are lying non-functional in Colleges, the students, particularly when exams are going on now-a-days, are suffering badly since they can’t afford to prepare them for the on-going examinations and especially those who reside in the hostels are suffering much more. How unprofessional are the guys at PDD can be gauged from the very fact that there is no cut and dried system of power levying in proportion to the power consumed.
A monthly slab, even now in most of the cases, is the yardstick which has ever proved counter-productive. Another point of concern is that even the electric meters have been installed at certain places but some of the location or areas have deliberately been exempted. This approach of the people concerned is tantamount to the gross and criminal negligence of duty. Government is not to be held responsible every time. Most of the irregularities happen at the lower level of administration. It is a deliberate delay on the part of the concerned quarters since they know that the installation of the electro-meters will shut all doors of illegitimate income on them. What a terrible neglect of duties in the deplorable department! Once the electric transformer is out of order, it remains the same for days together letting the families at home, students around in hostels, patients in hospitals and employees in the office suffer so badly and contributing to the loss of society and the system. If we get into the market, especially, along the suburban areas, we get shocked to come across more than fifty percent illegal electricity-connections provided to those shopkeepers who pay the satisfactory price for it. This obnoxious culture of looting the national exchequer has permeated through almost all the nooks and corners of our society with our state being a big scapegoat. Corruption, financial bungling and dereliction of duty are again something which can’t be ruled out entirely. Even Jammu and Srinagar, capitals of the state, receive no satisfactory power supply, and then the situation in the hill districts can well be imagined. The abject failure of the electricity department to dispense with its basic duty is symptomatic of the general rot that has besieged our state for a long time.
Despite having the big hydro-electric projects in our state, why the public is being subjected to the privations, is still suspense for a commoner. Another reason behind the failure of the department is the intentional silence of the VVIPs who are provided all 24 hours power-supply just to keep them in good humour. The available storage of power can also be of great benefit to the public if everything is fair and well-planned. Certain steps are instantly required to be taken if the misuse of power is to be stopped. Let me go a step further to say that “spare the rod and spoil the child” policy have to replaced by some stringent measures to control the system. When the incumbent elements in the system cease to be responsible to their conscience, the rod of iron becomes the only means to set the greedy minds in the right frame-work. As a measure to cool down the annoyed public, the power development department can be converted into the private electricity board where the affairs can much better be streamlined. This way both the corrupt practices by the employees as well as the irresponsible attitude of the people will get controlled. Load-shedding will be curtailed since the private companies will ensure continuous power-supply to earn money and no one will so easily be allowed to do whatever nonsense one wants. The very people, who today, are so casual about paying power tariff and always try to steal the electricity, will keep money, reserved separately, for clearance of the bills to avoid power disconnections without prior notice. Now the time has come both for the departments to teach a lesson to the irresponsible consumers and for the consumer to learn a lesson from the private electricity dealers.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel