Declare J&K a ‘Power Holiday’ State: Tarigami

Jammu, January 14: Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has lamented the government for failing to provide electricity to the consumers of the state especially to the valleyites during the harsh winter. He said that situation is like that the bulbs don’t lit for days together and even transformers massively damaged are not repaired. The consumers are too much worried about the non-availability of the electricity that they offer to de-electrify their homes. In a situation like this it will be better to declare ‘power holiday’ in the state especially the valley. The rural and far off areas are observing black outs for days together which also hampers the functioning of essential services like health.
He said that energy crisis have never been addressed to by the successive regimes resulting in adversities to the people and causing an economic inertia in the state. Despite being much resourceful for power generation the state continues to starve for energy due to the reason that the state is not given due share from the hydro-electric projects operating on the rivers of the state and NHPC continues to monopolize the hydro potential of the state.
Coming on the streets in protest against the defunct PDD and non-availability of electricity has become a routine matter and no heed is being paid to the seriousness of the power crisis. Day in and day out electrification of casual labourers due to poor transmission and distribution system is yet another area of concern. He said that there was immediate need to improve the transmission and distribution system and to augment the power scenario in the state. Though establishment of transformer workshops at divisional and sub-divisional levels was decided by the government but in practical terms nothing concrete has been done. He stressed for keeping buffer stock of transformers available in every Division and Sub-Division of the PDD in the state.
It was very much shameful that the consumers are subjected to donate cash for repairing of the transformers in their habitations in the private market and even to pay for arranging transformer oil from the open market. Despite negligible power supply provided to the consumers they are subjected to pay full power tariff and the practice ought to have been for paying only for the durations they avail the electricity.
Tarigami urged the government for focusing on the power sector in the ensuing budget to bring people out of the mess and cope the energy crisis in the state.