Had such bans been imposed in any other state or union territory in the country and had not Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal not withdrawn such bans in 2018 and 2022 respectively the Chief Engineer KPDCL’s decision won’t be questioned by the people”
Recently the Chief Engineer Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDC) ordered a ban on manufacture, import, transport, sale, purchase and use of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers but without reviewing the rollback of similar ban orders by Deputy Commissioner Srinagar in 2018 and Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal in the year 2022. What matters the most is the fact that had such bans been imposed in any other state or union territory in the country and had not Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal not withdrawn such bans in 2018 and 2022 respectively the Chief Engineer KPDCL’s decision won’t be questioned by the people. Banning manufacture, import, transport, sale, purchase and use of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters and boilers and steamers has been though taken to avoid damage to transmission resulting in unscheduled power cuts but without taking on board all the concerned stake holders such decisions always trigger unwanted controversies . While Chief Engineer Kashmir has already curbed misuse of power and heating appliances through night raids by night inspection squads for the right reasons, the decision to ban manufacture, import, transport, sale, purchase and use of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers can be questioned by both the traders running the wholesale and retail outlets of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers and as well as the power consumers in Valley.
“Administrative wisdom demands that Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir are consulted before announcing any such decision as after all it is for the Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to implement the decision and under all circumstances they won’t like to be part of any decision which would reduce the business operations of the traders running the wholesale and retail outlets of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers.”
While the decision by all standards of understandabilities is a big blow to traders running the wholesale and retail outlets of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers as finally their business operations will take a big hit in the mid winter period, the decision from Chief Engineer KPDCL should not have been taken without taking on board the traders running the wholesale and retail outlets of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers. The KPDCL is undoubtedly at liberty to curb misuse of crude heating devices to ensure efficient use of electricity but care has to be taken that initiatives taken to curb crude heating devices don’t bring under stress the business operations of a particular trading community. Otherwise also administrative wisdom demands that Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir are consulted before announcing any such decision as after all it is for the Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to implement the decision and under all circumstances they won’t like to be part of any decision which would reduce the business operations of the traders running the wholesale and retail outlets of Nichrome coil-based crude heaters, boilers and steamers.
