Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Tuesday said that people in Kashmir are grappling with one of the worst power crises in years.
While expressing dismay over the failure of the government in rising up to the expectations of the people, Sagar said, “People across the valley are complaining of unscheduled power cuts throughout days, especially during Sehri and Iftaar times. Before the onset of the holy month, the government had made tall promises about ensuring a steady supply of electricity to consumers. It was claimed that enduring uninterrupted power supply during Sehri and Iftar will be a priority by the Power Development Department (PDD).”
“Power bills have gone up from Rs 700 to Rs 1100 but the scenario of electricity hasn’t changed,” Sagar rued adding, “Most of the city areas were reeling under darkness even during the Shab-e-Qadr observance. Had the government told people to brace for prolonged power cuts, they would have made up their minds about the predicaments. For the past week, the scenario has taken an ugly turn with the outages touching 12 hours a day. The situation in upper reaches and far-flung areas is much worse. This is the everyday story now. There are frequent power cuts throughout the day and night. The situation is the same in both metered as well as non-metered areas. It is unfortunate that electricity is unavailable when people need it the most. All the tall claims of the government have fallen flat.”
