Lawmakers reprimand govt on power ‘crisis’

Jammu: Several legislators on Thursday came down heavily on the government and the Power minister for his ‘failure’ to deliver on ground. The legislators alleged that the governments ‘lethargic’ attitude has created power crisis in the state.

The lawmakers from opposition as well as ruling parties put forth the criticism in the Legislative Assembly during the discussion on grants for PDD department.

Senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Kangan Mian Altaf castigated the government for its failure to the make the power projects functional saying that it would have addressed the problem of unemployment in the state.

“Power houses could have created job opportunities in the state but government is yet to make these houses functional. Engineers, ITI trained youth, diploma holders are frustrated because of unemployment and are opting for manual labor now,” he said.

Altaf put forth issues of unscheduled power cuts, dismal performance of government in repairing transformers saying people are being deprived of proper electricity facilities.

“It takes more than two weeks to get a single transformer repaired,” he said, adding that government has failed to check the overloading of receiving stations which has worsened the power crises.

“You should go for augmentation of receiving station depending on demand of power in the state,” he said.

Altaf took a jibe at the minister and said government is yet to provide electric poles to the scores of habitations in rural areas wherein electric wires are hanging over branches of poplar trees.

“In some areas electric supply lines are hanging over branches of poplar trees because most of the schemes have not been implemented in the state during the four year tenure of the present government,” Altaf said.

Congress MLA from Leh, Nawang Rigzin Jora castigated the government for its failure to improve the power generation.

“The government is able to harness only 20 percent out of the total potential,” Jora said.

Jora cautioned the government to overcome the deficiencies faced due to T&D loses saying that people will continue to remain deprived of electricity facility. 

“No work has been done by the government on transmission line on Mughal road since 2014 transmission,” Jora said, adding that the government has also failed to utilize Rs 2570 crore under PMDP for improving transmission network.

MLA Banihal criticized the government for making false promises of providing hassle free electricity to people in the state and said government has failed to improve grids which have affected the handling capacity as well.

“We don’t know when we will see electricity in reality as government has failed to increase the capacities and upgrade the receiving stations and have withheld funds,” he said.

MLA Khansahab, Hakim Muhammad Yasin said the government should deal with PDD department sensitively given its essence as a huge amount of funds has been pumped by the government of India.

“But the state’s PDD has utilized only 20-25 percent of funds released under various central power schemes,” Yasin said.

Yasin said government was only changing names of central schemes while as none of the schemes were implemented on ground.  “How long we will change names of schemes and but don’t give any benefit to public,” he said.

CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam, M Y Tarigami expressed concern over power crises in the state and said the department was hiring agencies on higher costs to work while as other agencies which are ready to work on low rates were ignored.

“And these agencies are more competent than the people whom you are hiring for work,” he said.

He asked the government to explain why it was not able to explore their avenues and provide better electricity supply to people of the state.

“People have lost faith in you because of power crises. Will you go with darkness into next election,” Tarigami asked.

 

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