Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Sunday expressed concern over the prolonged power outages across the Kashmir division, saying the bureaucratic J&K government has failed to ensure basic civic amenities to people.
The party General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar, while interacting with a number of delegations from Anantnag, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Budgam, and Pulwama districts said, “The government machinery was busy in fanfare and running PR spectacles while people continue to suffer for want of basic civic amenities.”
“Not to talk about the widespread unemployment and poverty that has beset Kashmir, the J&K’s bureaucratic government has turned a blind eye to day-to-day issues concerning people. The administration has confined itself to photo-ops and PR spectacles, whereas people continue to suffer on one account or another,” Sagar said in a statement.
He said regular and long power outages have become the order of the day and people were hankering for water in urban areas, not to talk about the situation in rural areas. “If the scenario of electricity is that poor in Srinagar, it’s any ones guess how the situation with regards electricity supply would be across the rural Kashmir.”
He said the inconsistent power supply has particularly hit the elderly and students the most. “Sadly,” he said, “the incumbent administration has turned a blind eye to the issues concerning people.”
The visiting delegations apprised the General Secretary about the erratic power supply in their areas saying the situation was turning grave with each passing day.
Visiting delegations told Sagar that erratic power supply has also triggered water crises in the Srinagar city’s suburbs, where people aren’t able to lift water to overhead water tanks for their daily usage.
“Government takes Crores of rupees in terms of tariff from the consumers but when it comes to providing round-the-clock power supply, it is abdicating its responsibilities leaving consumers high and dry,” he said.
“It is appalling that instead of ensuring regular power supply during the ongoing summers, PDD is resorting to forced power cuts. Unscheduled power cuts have grown severe, giving a tough time to tourists putting up in hotels and houseboats. The situation has acquired catastrophic proportions with every sector suffering immensely particularly the manufacturing and handloom sectors,” said Sagar.
“One of the worst power crises in Kashmir has left residents upset with outages ranging from 8-10 hours per day during ongoing summers,” he said adding, “The situation runs contrary to the claims made by the incumbent administration about availability of 24×7 power supply in metered areas.”
