Invites CM’s attention towards pesky power cuts in Valley

Srinagar: Expressing serious concern over the grim power situation in Kashmir, CPI (M) State Secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik has invited Honb’le Chief Minister’s attention towards the precarious situation caused by the pesky power cuts in the state especially the Valley which is reeling under severe cold.

In a statement to KNS, Malik said that people of the valley are complaining about poor power supply that has created numerous problems for the people in general. “Many areas in Kashmir are living under perpetual darkness in absence of electricity supply or due to extremely low voltage. This is a serious issue which merits Honb’le Chief Minister’s attention,” the CPI (M) leader pleaded.

He said people living in rural and far flung areas are without electricity and even areas receiving erratic power supply are for the most of the time facing numerous problems on account of low voltage compelling people to arrange alternative sources of illumination during the peak hours of the day.

Malik remarked that the people of the state have now become accustomed to face the winter vagaries every year in absence of the electricity as this situation is being repeated every winter soon after the offices move to Jammu.

“This has virtually become an annual ritual for the state administration to keep the people of the Valley devoid of basic amenities, especially the power supplies and essential commodities while Durbar functions in the winter capital. This situation needs to be changed, sooner the better,” he stressed.

He said that there is no power schedule being followed on ground and even metered areas are facing long and unscheduled power cuts much to the annoyance of public. “The transmission and distribution system has also deteriorated thereby depriving the consumers of vital electricity facility. The dilapidated LT network especially in rural areas needs to be replaced without any delay and the focus must also be given to augmentation of electricity transformers wherever needed to cope up with the consumption load,” he demanded.

Malik said the faulty policies of PDD are mostly responsible for the damages of electricity transformers as the power department has never bothered to install electricity transformers proportionate to needs of growing population in the state. “The PDD has failed to create a buffer stock of electricity transformers at Divisional level to address the situation surfaced due to damaged transformers. The step-down transformers, installed in every neighborhood develop technical snags and the consumers are left helpless in darkness and freezing cold till the process of lifting, repairing and re-installing a transformer is completed in months together,” the CPI (M) leader opined. (KNS)