Schedule to be implemented in letter and spirit: Chief Engineer
SRINAGAR: With the cold wave gripping Kashmir valley a new power curtailment schedule, announced by the Power Development Department (PDD), has further added to the woes of common people. Business Community has threatened to take to streets if uninterrupted power supply is not ensured in the metered areas.
The PDD has come up with new curtailment schedule in which power curtailment in metered and non-metered areas has been increased.
Non metered areas will reel under more darkness this winter as there will be 57 hours of curtailment per week as compared to metered areas where curtailment hours per week will be 17 hours.
According to the new order, power schedule in non-metered areas will be: Morning- twice a week OFF (5 AM to 8 AM); 8 AM to 1 PM thrice a week OFF, 1 PM to 6 PM, four times a week OFF; Evening- twice a week OFF (6 PM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 10 PM alternately); Night- once a week OFF (10 PM to 5 AM).
Power schedule in metered areas will be: Morning- once a week OFF (5 Am to 8 AM) 8 AM to 1 PM once a week OFF; 1 PM to 6 PM once a week OFF; Evening- once a week OFF (6 PM to 8 PM and 8 PM to 10 PM alternately); Night- once a week OFF (10 PM to 5 AM).
The move has triggered anger among people who are also facing severe LPG shortage, partly fuelled by hoarding and black marketing by the dealers.
Business community meanwhile has blamed Government for the power mess.
Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairman, Muhammad Yaseen Khan said that there is schedule without any schedule. People of Kashmir are paying electricity dues properly and in time and yet Valley is reeling under darkness. Government had promised it would supply uninterrupted electricity to metered areas but the new schedule has proved all these promises as hoax, Khan said.
He warned that if Power Development Department did not change its schedule and supply uninterrupted electricity to the metered areas then business community would be forced to come on roads and launch an agitation.
According to a prominent city trader, Jagmohan Singh Raina Government has gone back on its promises. When it started metering, PDD had promised uninterrupted power supply but again it has given us impression that there is no difference between metered and non-metered areas. Raina said that Government should stop supplying power to outside states and save Valley from reeling under darkness.
It has been always the tactic of State government to issue new power curtailment schedule when Durbar gets shifted to Jammu, said Jahangir Ahmed, a Srinagar resident.
It is very unfortunate that ministers and officials take it easy and dont take woes of people into account while passing new orders. The new power schedule will increase the woes of people here, he said.
The additional curtailment has become a worry for parents whose wards are preparing for examinations. It will be difficult for our children as they cant study, when there will hardly be any electricity during evening time? one of the parents said.
When contacted Chief Engineer PDD, Bashir Ahmed Khan said that new schedule would be implemented in letter and spirit. The curtailment hours in such areas could be reduced where it is observed that there is a reduction in AT&C losses. People will get electricity as per schedule and there will no change in it, Khan said.
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