Govt acts against 2 engineers

SRINAGAR: Power department has confirmed that power cuts during Sehri and Iftar times were not merely due to the overload of the power distribution system, but also due to the laxity of its staff in providing the unhindered supply in at least two areas.

The fact came to fore on Monday when the government as a punishment for maintaining laxity in electric supply attached two engineers from two most affected areas, Zakura and Bemina. When people from these two areas for the first week of the holy month of Ramadan were raising concerns, the department would blame overloading of the power distribution system.

Aijaz Dar, the chief engineer of Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited had told Kashmir Reader that the cuts were due to the power load of 1950 MWs against the routine of 1500 MWs. His way to get over it was to ask people to use the power judiciously.

However, Monday’s government attachment order rejected the CE’s claim.

As per the government, a serious note of laxity in electric supply during Iftar and Sehri times in Srinagar district led to attachment of AEE Bemina and AE Zakoora in the office of Managing Director, KPDCL with immediate effect. The officers of KPDCL will be attached till the time a detailed enquiry is conducted on the issue, the government added.

Dar did not respond to calls from Kashmir Reader to know why only system overload was given as a reason for power cuts. It remains unknown whether there are any other areas where power cuts are due to the official laxity.

The department is always known for only blaming people for the power crisis in Kashmir. It never talked about its own reasons for making people suffer. The reasons are either incompetence or not completing the power projects on time.

Sources told Kashmir Reader that dozens of projects at sub transmission levels remain delayed for years together. Had they been complete, Kashmir would not have faced power outages anywhere during the year.

For a week now, Kashmir continues to face winter-like power cuts which disturb the routines during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, perhaps for the first time in April in the recent past. The cuts even occur at the Shehri and Iftar timings, agitating the reverence and feel of the most spiritual timing of the holy month. The cuts have been reported from nook and cranny of the Valley.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz