Budgam, Dec 09: People in Budgam Township are up in arms against Power Development Department (PDD) for entering their houses “forcibly” on the pretext of crackdown on illegal power consumption.
Locals told Kashmir Images that officials of PDD raided several houses in Ustaad Mohalla on Saturday and took away heaters and boilers.
However, a camp of CRPF, which lies in the same locality, was not raided which according to people is consuming a large amount of electricity “illegally”.
“We asked PDD officials to seize boilers and heaters from CRPF camp too but they didn’t dare to do so saying they have no permission for entering the camp,” said aghast consumers.
A local, Abul Hassan exclaimed, “Who gave officials a permission to enter residential houses?”
Also, consumers accused PDD officials of being selective with their raid. “Why PDD can only see boilers of few but not geysers and other appliances in other households?” They asked.
They said that the crackdown was merely a publicity stunt. “If PDD officials were sincere, they would have launched drive from their office,” they said.
Locals quoted PDD officials as having said that the crackdown was on the directions of higher-ups and it would be intensified in the coming days.
Significantly, Budgam residents said that they are also against illegal power consumption “but before carrying out raid, PDD should understand what is legal and illegal”.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer PDD Budgam Nasrullah Jan could not be contacted. He declined the call and send a custom message “I am in a meeting, will call you right back”, but after waiting for hours he did not call back. Of being contacted again, his number was out of the reach.
