Though it is a decades old routine practices that power curtailments enforced during peak winter months are not only reduced but also completely withdrawn after the onset of tourist season in summer across Kashmir Valley but unfortunately this year unexpected long duration power cuts in the day time and 1-2 hours in the evening in urban areas and almost double of such power cuts in rural parts of Kashmir enforced since last more than ten days has disappointed both domestic and as well as commercial power consumers in Valley. Amid tourism boom in Valley the pesky power cuts would by all means not only put the tourists lodged in hotels and hotels at famed tourist spots of Kashmir Valley to a great deal of incontinence but would also consequently hit the business of hoteliers and houseboat owners across Kashmir. Long duration of power cuts not hits the business of hoteliers and houseboat owners but it also hits the delivery of healthcare services at hospitals, normal working at diagnostic centres, the routine functioning of most of the business and trading outlets and also the routine work of students in the evening hours. While smart meters are being installed in more and more areas day after day, week after week and month after month within and outside Srinagar city, the tendency of paying the power tariffs in time among the consumers is also showing an unprecedented rise not only in Kashmir Valley but also in Jammu division since last more than a year now. While the both domestic and as well as commercial consumers are developing a habit of paying power tariff in time either due to the fear of disconnections after the launch of disconnection drive launched by Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) to recover pending tariff bills since last winter or for other good reasons, the onus of hassle free power supply to consumers as per the commitment of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha lies on J&K Power Development Corporation.
“Administrative wisdom demands that for reducing the increasing inconvenience to tourists during their stay in hotels and houseboats and furthering the causes of hassle free facilities to Amarnath Yatris during the upcoming annual amaranth yatra the hassle free power supplies is one of the priorities already listed by the Government on the top of it’s developmental agenda. Morality also demands that Government sticks to it’s promise of hassle free power supply for the convenience of both the tourists and as well as Amatnath yatris in furtherance of the causes of both conventional and as well as religious tourism in Jammu & Kashmir”.
Otherwise also the consumers have the right to demand hassle free power supply when they are cooperating not only in the payment of tariff bills in time but also in the continuing drive of the installation of smart meters Administrative wisdom demands that for reducing the increasing inconvenience to tourists during their stay in hotels and houseboats and furthering the causes of hassle free facilities to Amarnath Yatris during the upcoming annual amaranth yatra the hassle free power supplies is one of the priorities already listed by the Government on the top of it’s developmental agenda. Morality also demands that Government sticks to it’s promise of hassle free power supply for the convenience of both the tourists and as well as Amatnath yatris in furtherance of the causes of both conventional and as well as religious tourism in Jammu & Kashmir.
