Pulwama observes shut down

Protests against power, LPG shortage

SRINAGAR – Amid protests and clashes, complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama Township and adjoining areas against shortage of electricity and cooking gas in the district.

Scores of protestors assembled on various roads leading to the town, brining normal life to a halt. Movement of traffic was also affected after protestors erected barricades and burnt tyres on roads.

According to the protestors, the main township and adjoining villages have been suffering due to acute shortage and frequent cuts of power supply. The protestors also demanded that supply of cooking gas be made available to the district and alleged that they are having to pay exhorbitant rates to buy LPG cylinders in black market.

Minor clashes and stone pelting incidents were also reported from the main Pulwama township.

Meanwhile, lambasting the government for excessive curtailment in electricity and non availability of cooking gas, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the life has become impossible under the present government rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharing the sense of outrage of people of Pulwama district who took to streets today to protest against power curtailment and non availability of cooking gas, senior PDP leaders including Mohammad Khalil Bandh MLA Pulwama, Syed Basheer MLA Rajpora, Zahoor Ahmad Mir MLA Pampore, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah MLA Tral and Abdul Razaq Zawoora MLA Shopian observed that Pulwama has been totally ignored by the present government in all fields of development.

The PDP leaders said people of the state in general and Pulwama district in particular are subjected to pay hefty amounts to get cooking gas cylinders.  “People in Pulwama have no roads, no electricity, no healthcare and no ration. It seems the government has come to a standstill and the people have been left high and dry due to complete developmental inertia facing the state,” they said.

The PDP leaders said despite being at top in electricity revenue generation, Pulwama is the worst sufferer at the hands of the power development department which is under the control of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “Pulwama is 35-year old district and so far does not possess a single grid station. The one sanctioned receiving station at Wagum has been kept withheld by the government for the reasons best known to it,” Mohammad Khalil Bandh said.

He added that the other sanctioned receiving station at Gulshanabad has not seen the light of day under the garb of land acquisition while as simultaneously sanctioned Kulgam receiving station was inaugurated this year in October by Minister Sakina Yatoo who also happens to be chairperson of District Development Board Pulwama.

“The already overloaded grid station at Lassipora was handed over to SIDCO for industrial purposes while the people have been left uncared. Pulwama has received very less electrification material for repair including two buffer transformers. Our 10 MVA- Distribution Transformer is on 2nd term repair leaving Pulwama Receiving Station defunct,” the PDP leaders said while demanding a 30 MVA – Distributions Transformer for Pulwama which could feed large population of the area.

The PDP legislators shared the concern of the people of the district saying the present government has neglected them, thus increasing their alienation.  They added during the last three and a half years, alienation among people has been increasing due to governance deficit and rampant corruption. The PDP MLAs while pointing out the developmental projects started during PDP led coalition government; said the same are hanging in balance due to mis-governance of the present regime.

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