Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 3: After its failure to meet three deadlines earlier, the Power Development Department (PDD) today restored the electricity supply to the Poonch areas after the lapse of over 104 days.
The people of Poonch, Mandi and Surankote areas heaved a sie of relief after the power supply was retorted to the area during last mid night. With the restoration of power normal activity was witnessed in banks, business houses, workshops, rice/ corn grinding and saw mills besides other establishments dependent on electricity.
After the lapse of nearly three months, the Poonch city witnessed power supply throughout the day today.
Though the PDD authorities had promised to provide nearly seven- hour power a day but public was receiving hardly two to three hour electricity supply. With this crisis, the water supply also remained badly hit during last three months in the area. Moreover, studies of the students of the area were also affected after the power supply was snapped on January 18 this year due to heavy snow fall and collapse of nearly 16 big towers and damage caused to grid stations at Draba and Chandak.
Dy Commissioner Poonch, Sajjad Ahmed Khan said that it was really a matter of big relief for the public of the area after the power to Poonch city was restored at around 11 pm last night. After some trials for brief occasions it was finally restored around mid night and today the people witnessed the electricity throughout the day. Mr Khan said Draba Grid Station was made functional by the concerned engineers of Transmission/ S&O and EM&RE wings of the PDD late last evening. He said the work had been launched on war footing and even the Power Grid authorities were approached by State to provide assistance.
Replying to a question, the DC said the work on Chandak Grid Station was going on and it is expected to be made functional with in two weeks. He further said that with the functioning of Draba Station power supply to nearly 75-80 % areas has been restored. The power crisis also hit the economic condition of the people of the area while banking services remained also affected, Mr Khan added.
Not only the power, the water supply had too, been badly hit with the break down in the power supply after 16 towers of the transmission line got collapsed after heavy snow fall on the intervening night of January 18 and 19 this year. The Government placed 13 officials of the PDD including a Chief Engineer under suspension after the reports indicated use of sub-standard material.
Minister of State incharge Power, Vikar Rasool said that Over Rs 10.5 crore were spent on the restoration of power to the area. He said earlier April 21, 2013 was given the target to restore power to the engineers. Then he himself along with Principal Secretary Power and Chief Engineer visited the area and reviewed the progress of work. Another deadline of April 25 was given but the staff failed to meet again. After it the final May 1 was fixed as the target date but unfortunately, the power was restored on the late evening of May 2. He said it was very tough task for the men deployed on work. Pending work is also being initiated at another grid station. Chief Minister and he himself were reviewing work on weekly basis.
The MOS further said that due to use of sub-standard material, the towers got collapsed and other infrastructure was damaged due to heavy snowfall during last winters. The towers were re-erected and good quality gadgets/ infrastructure used. He said total 13 PDD officials including a CE and SE have been suspended and high level inquiry is being conducted. The State Vigilance department is also looking into the case and the guilty will be punished as per law.
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