‘PDD must follow CM’s directions’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: Stating that the Power Development Department (PDD) has started imposing power cuts in these Winters, Balbir Ram Rattan, BJP senior leader & former Vice Chairperson, said that business and people from all walks of life are badly affected in Jammu and Kashmir due to prolonged curtailments.
Balbir Ram Rattan said that the prolonged power cuts have a wide range of negative effects, depending on their duration. Industrial/ manufacturing units are badly hit, perishable goods in stores and homes spoil without refrigeration, hospitals and patients reliant on electric medical equipments are at risk, students, housewives, aged persons too are affected. Loss of heating or air conditioning can lead to health issues, especially during extreme weather, spoiled food due to lack of refrigeration can lead to food poisoning, poor lighting increases risks of accidents, internet and telecommunication services may be unavailable in absence of regular power supply. Machinery involved in monetary transactions too come to halt, thus adding to the word of the people.
Referring to the recent directions from Chief Minister to the Power Development Department to minimize distress power cuts, Balbir Ram Rattan, said that Omar Abdullah has rightly pointed out that people are ready to accept planned curtailments, but unexpected and prolonged powers cuts are difficult for them to tolerate.
Balbir said that despite the fact that every year in peak Summers and Winters, the PDD has to curtail supply of electricity, still the decision makers at the helm of affairs have not formulated a concrete policy to ensure no power cuts to provide relief to the public. The situation in rural areas is worst and the farmers are helpless as they cannot run the water pumping machines and irrigate agriculture fields during the crop seasons.
To check prolonged power cuts involves not only fixing immediate issues but also better infrastructure, backup systems, and renewable energy solutions, are to be created, he said.
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