Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 5: While the Ministers from Jammu region are enjoying cool weather in Kashmir, the people in Jammu city and other adjoining districts, experiencing harsh summer days are suffering badly in view of the worst kind of power crisis as the Power Development Department (PDD) has miserably failed to provide adequate supply of electricity to the consumers even in the fully metered areas, whereas, non-clearance of payments worth over Rs 28 crore of the firms repairing transformers has added to the woes of the public because these firms have refused to work for the PDD.
Angry public is on the roads protesting against the Government, especially against the public representatives (MLAs/ MLCs) and Ministers from Jammu region who are enjoying cool breeze at Srinagar. The people here alleged that the Ministers from Jammu are not available and there was no body to listen to their grievances these days. Excelsior office is receiving innumerous public calls of long power cuts daily from various city localities and other towns. They claimed to be spending sleepless nights in the absence of power supply.
They also alleged that their elected representatives are not available to listen to their grievances while as some former Congress Ministers from Jammu areas were easily approachable to them. Not only the public but the industrialists are also facing works kind of power crisis here.
For the last one week, Jammu city and its other major towns like Akhnoor, Khour, Jourian, RS Pura, Bishnah, Vijaypur, Nagrota, Bari Brahamana besides Samba and Kathua districts and its towns like Billawar, Basohli, Hiranagar, Ghagwal, Lakhanpur etc are facing worst kind of power crisis.
For hours together, the forced shut down is being imposed on the consumers which is torturous during these peak scorching hot summer days. Even during night hours, there is no power for hours together and people are spending sleepless nights these days.
There are massive public protests at least daily these days in Jammu city and other towns but the public representatives and even the Minister for Power Dr Nirmal Singh, who hails from Jammu is apparently least bothered about the miseries of the public. Most of them are camping in Kashmir and enjoying cool weather mostly along with their families.
The new Government has also stopped the tradition of summer and winter Secretariat at Jammu and Srinagar respectively to attend the public grievances. The Ministers from here are mostly on flying visits and are hardly available to the public. This has increased anger against them in Jammu region. The students are unable to prepare for the exams and coming entrance tests for the professional institutes due to power crisis. The industrial unit holders are also raising hue and cry but there is nobody to listen.
The senior officers of the PDD are generally giving plea that due to old power infrastructure and over loading of the systems, it is their compulsion to impose power cuts these days. They still give yet another reason of shut down as IRCON people are busy in erecting poles and lying cables in some areas of Jammu city. But it is unfortunate that even during these peak summer days, the PDD officials are allowing 4-5 hours curtailment to them on the name of raising poles. They can at least wait for two-three summer months so that public do not suffer.
There were massive regular protests by public at Bakshinagar, New Plot, Rehari and old city areas of Jammu city for the three days. The public has the only option to protest or conduct `Gherao’ of the officials concerned, because they are paying fatty bills and the agency- PDD is failing to perform its duty and provide adequate supply of power in return to the public.
Same is the condition in Rajouri, Mendhar, Surankote, Poonch and Nowshera besides Reasi, Ramnagar and Doda-Kishtwar areas. Due to power crisis, the water supply has also been badly hit these days. Low voltage and power fluctuation is another problem which has damaged the electric gadgets/ appliances of the public.
The people of Jammu region may face more worst kind of crisis in coming hottest summer days of June and July as the private firms repairing damaged electric transformers for the PDD have also decided not to work till their long pending liability is cleared. The people are the ultimate sufferers for their no fault on this count. They are paying fatty electricity bills regularly while the PDD failed to supply adequate power to them.
Sources in PDD revealed that at least 15 electric transformers manufacturing and repairs units exist in Kashmir region and nearly 17 such units in Jammu region. The PDD authorities have yet to clear the pending dues to the tune of Rs 16 crores of the unit holders from Kashmir region and nearly Rs 12 crores of the unit owners from Jammu province.
President Jammu and Kashmir Transformers Manufacturers and Repairs Association, Mohd Ashraf said that due to poor response from the Deputy Chief Minister (Minister incharge PDD) and concerned senior officers they have been forced to stop working for PDD and repair transformers. He said during March they paid a peanut amount but even today liability of more than Rs 16 crores is pending. He said that huge liability of Jammu units is also still there. Under such circumstances they are unable to work for PDD.
He said the pendency of transformers under repair is also increasing and there is every possibility of rise in the public protests across the State due to grim power scenario.
A senior member from JKTMR Association Jammu said that over seventy percent repair work of the damaged transformers of PDD was being performed by over 30 private firms located at Gangyal, Bari Brahmana, Kathua and Samba in Jammu region and Pampore, Anantnag and other parts of Kashmir. About Rs 28 crore liability was there of these firms towards PDD.
He regretted the response of the Minister Incharge and said that even senior officers have not shown much interest in clearing this liability. They are paying in just peace meals. The unit holders are unable to pay the wages of the factory workers. They are receiving notices from the banks as they have exhausted their loan limits and they are unable to survive. The Government has turned them all bankrupt, he added.
He further said that transformers repaired in PDD workshops, mostly get damaged even within week, a fortnight or even a month. In some cases, they get damaged immediately after installation. Department takes one year warranty from the private firms for the repaired transformers, ensuring quality work but this rule is not for them in their own PDD workshops. They should also be made accountable to ensure quality work and not the substandard one, he added.
Chief Engineer PDD (M&RE) Jammu Ashwani Gupta when contacted said that there are three workshops of PDD in Jammu besides another one Central Workshop at Narwal. He said in many workshops, double shift work is being performed to meet the challenge but even then the pendency of repair/ replacement of damaged transformers has increased. He said at divisional level there are workshops which are doing repair work of this kind.
Gupta said that there is `transformers bank’ where stock of nearly 400 transformers is available. He said in Jammu city replacement work is done within 24 hours while in rural areas it may take couple of days but in city there is no problem of such kind.
He said that due to fault in 220 KV line from Kishanpur to Burn ( Kot Bhalwal) three days back, the power supply to many Jammu areas was affected but now that line has been repaired. He said that every year during summers this problem is faced. He said that four additional workshops in Jammu region and four in Kashmir are being set up from the Central funds and they will be ready by next 3-4 months. The power supply will also be improved with it. Manda power receiving station is also ready and it will also provide some relief to the public.
Gupta claimed that PDD paid Rs 3.7 crore in March this year to the firms repairing transformers and the pending amount will also be cleared as and when they receive funds from the Government. He admitted that due to stoppage of work by these firms the damaged transformers replacement is being delayed specially in rural areas.
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