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| As winter engulfs Jammu, need of more electricity increases in Jagti township | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 25: As winter chill has started to engulf Jammu city and adjoining areas like Jagti township where Kashmiri Pandit migrants are living, the need of heating elements have increased but the frequent power curtailment has made people to suffer. People residing in the area have started to use water and room heaters but at the same time it is leading to frequent power cuts which has made the life of people miserable. People since long had been demanding free electricity but the government didn't agree. Even after paying the fee, people are suffering with frequent power cuts.
The Kashmiri Pandit migrants had been using the free electricity in migrant camps in and outside Jammu city since their exile from Kashmir valley. But after government came up with Jagti township and shifted all families living in migrant camps, the power development department wanted these families to make an agreement for using electricity. But these migrant families were demanding free electricity like what they were getting earlier.
During summers as well people protested against PDD and came on road with their demands but government didn't agree. Now when winter is in full swing the need of more electricity has increase in the area as well but with less units of electricity available, people are suffering in chilling atmosphere.
"The need of using water and room heaters is unavoidable in this winter but whenever we use their heating elements, we have to face power cuts. The government does not understand our problems as everybody need proper things to deal with winter chill," said Roop Lal, a migrant who is living in Jagti along his family.
There are many like Roop Lal who agree with his demands of providing more free electricity like earlier to migrant families living in the township.
"We were forced to come out of homes in 1990 when we were being targeted by armed men. After leaving homes we lived in miserable condition for more than 20 years and now when we were waiting to breathe freely, the imposition of electricity bills is being imposed on us," said Dilip Koul, another migrant living in the same township.
The Kashmiri Pandit community was forced to live in exile in various parts of country mostly in Jammu after the arms insurgency broke out in the state in which hundreds of Kashmir Pandit were killed and lakhs came out of their homes. In various migrant camps in Jammu, Kahsmiri pandit families lived in one room tents facing extreme weather condition.
The government at that time provided free ration, electricity and was given stipend in the form of cash as well. After moving to Jagti township, the government asked them to go for agreement and pay for the electricity. This lead to protest demonstration by migrant families and responding to these protests the PDD even agreed to give 100 to 150 units of free electricity to these unit after signing agreements but this never happened.
Even the government had said that since 1990, Rs 90 crore free electricity was provided to these families but now they will have to sign the agreement.
Now, when winter has started to show its pleasure, the need of more electricity in the area has increased.
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