“Three hours power cut in morning followed by three hours power cut in the afternoon and three hour power cut in the evening is a routine practice of KPDCL in Kashmir over which the Government does not seek any explanation from any higher authority of J&K Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKPDCL) .”
Power crisis in Kashmir undoubtedly deepens annually in the mid winter periods due to lavish use of heating appliances equally at homes, private business centres and Government offices but unfortunately this year it is intensifying at a much higher speed than the intensifying cold wave on the commencement of the harshest period of winter called “Chilla-i-Kalan”. While Chief Minister Omar Abdullah immediately after taking over the reigns of power in Jammu & Kashmir had in October this year promised strict adherence to Government’s power curtailment schedule and facility 200 units free power to the people of low income groups living below the poverty line (BPL) but unfortunately the intensity of the unscheduled power cuts is much greater than the speed with which Chief Minister had made the promises on smooth power supply to consumers. Forget about the Chief Minister’s promise of extending the facility of 200 units of free power to the people of low income groups living below the poverty line (BPL) the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) is now asking consumers of all categories including the people of low income groups living below the poverty line (BPL) promised 200 units power free to purchase smart meters from the open market in case of demanding replacement. Ironically now there are two types of smart meters one is single phase for load agreement up to 3 Kilowatt priced at Rs 1000-1200 and another is three phase smart meter for load agreement of up to 5 Kilowatt agreement priced at Rs 4000-5000 in the open market. This clearly indicates that consumers are forced to purchase even smart meters from the open market for paying monthly power tariffs in the range of Rs 5000-6000.
“Though Chief Minister himself and his two other ministers had promised 200 units free power to people of low income groups living below the poverty line (BPL) and unscheduled power cuts in first three months of the present term of their Government but the intensifying unscheduled powers speak themselves about the increasing troubles power consumer face across Kashmir. Increasing public outcry against the increasing power crisis is in itself and indication that silence of the Government can only break the silence of people in the end and better if Government itself breaks silence by taking some immediate corrective measures for smoothening power supply in Kashmir Valley. “
Whatever little trouble left undone by the KPDCL’s distribution wing is now being done by the Data Centre of the KPDCL from where the power supply to consumers is withdrawn even after paying the bills in time merely for using even a single unit more than the load agreement of three kilowatts. Three hours power cut in morning followed by three hours power cut in the afternoon and three hour power cut in the evening is a routine practice of KPDCL in Kashmir over which the Government does not seek any explanation from any higher authority of J&K Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKPDCL) . It seems that as if KPDCL is not a Government controlled undertaking but a private enterprise guided by its own rules and regulations. Though Chief Minister himself and his two other ministers had promised 200 units free power to people of low income groups living below the poverty line (BPL) and unscheduled power cuts in first three months of the present term of their Government but the intensifying unscheduled powers speak themselves about the increasing troubles power consumer face across Kashmir. Increasing public outcry against the increasing power crisis is in itself and indication that silence of the Government can only break the silence of people in the end and better if Government itself breaks silence by taking some immediate corrective measures for smoothening power supply in Kashmir Valley.
