Power cuts force Jammuites to spend sleepless nights
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 20
Though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah holds the power portfolio, residents of the Jammu region are a harried lot these days, as they are deprived of regular power supply.

Due the government’s failure to supply adequate power to the consumers, normal life here has been thrown out of gear.

With a drastic increase in temperature, the people in the region are having a hellish time, as unscheduled power cuts and regular fluctuations in power supply have become a routine affair.

The fluctuations have damaged electric appliances of a large number of people here. Even a house caught fire in the Panjtirthi area here last night due to a sudden power fluctuation.

Sources in the Power Development Department (PDD) said the power crisis was due to power pilferage, kundi connections, which was going on unabated in the region.

The kundi menace has worsened the situation this year and the people were unable to sleep during the nights. A huge gap in the demand and supply of power has forced a few industrialists to stop their units here as well.

Not only villages or un-metered areas, but also cities, including the winter capital of the state, are reeling under the power crisis. However, a perusal of government records revealed that the money spent for reforms in the power sector in the past few years had failed to bring results.

Sources revealed that on an average 20-25 transformers were getting damaged in the region due to overloading. The residents here had been protesting against the PDD officials for their apathetic attitude. Even villagers had submitted memorandums to the minister concerned to look into the matter so that the power situation could improve.

Officials concerned said the demand of power had almost doubled and they were working to provide maximum supply to the people. They said the department was trying hard to bring reforms in the electricity transmission and distribution system by creating mass awareness about the proper use of electricity. However, Minister of State for Power Shabir Ahmad Khan avoided commenting on the issue. “It will be better if you call me later or any other day,” said Khan.

Power theft On an average, the government is losing around Rs 500 crore per annum due to power theft What government did The government has implemented provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Electricity Ordinance 2005, which has been promulgated in order to check power theft Under the ordinance, power theft has been made a cognisable offence with imprisonment up to three years and fine up to Rs 10,000