Power Woes

Unscheduled power cuts

Jammu feels the heat

Ministers, bureaucrats believe more in meetings as good governance takes a backseat

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 7
Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has deputed ministers at Jammu on rotation basis to conduct summer secretariat so as to ensure smooth functioning of departments, particularly those associated with basic amenities, dismal power and water scenario has badly affected life in the winter capital.
“After a brief relief a week ago due to rain and cloudy weather conditions, which had stabilised electricity supply to some extent, power cuts and scarce water supply are back to haunt us,” said Harvinder Singh, a resident of the densely populated Nanak Nagar.
“Unscheduled power cuts for hours together are a routine. Though we somehow brave the hot and humid weather, it becomes very difficult for small children and elderly people to cope up with the extreme weather conditions, he added.
Chief engineer of the Power Development Department Shehnaz Goni recently apprised Law Minister Ali Mohammed Sagar about the status of power supply in Jammu and other far-flung areas. Goni claimed before the minister that the PDD replaced the damaged transformers within 24 hours in Jammu so that the people did not suffer.
However, in reality, the department acts at its own will to replace the damaged transformers taking days together, said Harnam Singh, a resident of Digiansa.
And despite repeated attempts neither the Law Minister nor the chief engineer responded to the telephone calls, exposing “intentions” of the present regime in delivering good governance.
“Just a couple of days ago, electricity played hide-and-seek with us. My grandfather, who is an asthmatic patient, had to undergo a nightmarish experience because of frequent power cuts. After almost six hours, power supply was restored at 4 am. Now one can imagine the condition of an asthmatic patient in blistering summer when mercury hovers above 40 degree Celsius,” rued Amit Gupta, a resident of New Plot area.
When reminded that the present government is conducting Jammu secretariat to ensure efficient working, Gupta laughed at the initiative describing it nothing but eyewash. “Do you think politicians and bureaucrats really bother about the common man?” he asked.
Had it been so, the Chief Minister would have led by example conducting open darbar in Jammu as well, like the way he did in Srinagar soon after the darbar offices shifted there, he resented.
In the past two days, this correspondent tried to contact the PDD chief engineer and made at least 30 calls on her phone, but the official didn’t respond.
Meanwhile, acting upon Omar Abdullah’s instructions Ali Mohammmed Sagar, who holds the portfolio of Rural Development, Panchayats, Justice and Parliament Affairs also, will attend the Jammu summer secretariat for a week from June 6.
On Monday, he reviewed the functioning of various departments associated with delivery and regulation of basic services, besides pace of progress on developmental works across the region at a high-level meeting.
Pawan Kotwal, divisional commissioner, Jammu; Dilbagh Singh, IGP Jammu; Ajay Khajuria, director agriculture; Shehnaz Goni, Chief Engineer PDD; Vinod Sharma, VC JDA; Basant Rath, SSP Jammu; Vinod Luthra, SE PHE; PK Puri, SE PDD; and divisional-level officers of various departments attended the meeting.
The minister reviewed the functioning of the government departments with special reference to PHE, Irrigation, Jammu Municipal Corporation, PDD, CAPD, Traffic, Transport, UEED, JDA and Rural Development Department.