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| NC's 2008 poll promise turns damp squib | | Budgam villages reel under darkness | | ET Report
Srinagar, Feb 8 : Dozens of villages in central Kashmir's Budgam district are reeling under darkness from the last two weeks as many transformers have been damaged. Villages located near Branwar in Chadoora tehsil have alleged that the local Mini Hydro Electric Project of 7.5 Megawatt capacity has duped the locals as the company which runs the project under Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) agreement is neither providing them power nor spending 2% of the annual income on the area development. All this has exposed the National Conference's 2008 poll promise wherein the party had assured that they would ensure better power supply to the residents of state if they are elected to power.The residents of Bonen , Jeddain , Kutabal and Surasyar villages of central Kashmir's Budgam district even staged massive protest few days back against Power Development Department (PDD) for what they said plunging the whole area into darkness for the past more than 22 days. Scores of villagers from these villages had assembled in Srinagar's Press Enclave and accused that PDD Sub Division Chadoora for making inordinate delay in repairing three damaged transformers which has rendered almost a dozen villages into complete darkness."The NC leaders made promises with us through their election manifesto as well as in public meetings during 2008 assembly elections that if the party is elected to power they would ensure hassle free power supply to people of the state, but now it is more that 5 years since NC came in power and the situation has worsened," said Abdul Gani one of the protestors while talking to Early Times.
"It is only the inaction of the Government that has forced us to take to streets. We contacted concerned officials many a times but there has been no response and the governance seems to have been buried in our state," Abdul Gani added The residents of the above mentioned villages allege that a private company namely P&R Infrastructure Private Limited from Chandigarh constructed a 7.5 megawatt power project on Doodganga River at village Branawar Budgam which is just two kilometers away from their locality but the no power is provided to us by this company and Government is a mute spectator. The locals have also alleged that the power department has placed damaged wires in the area which can lead to serious causality any time. Protestors had got some of the damaged wires / cables with them to Srinagar during the protests.
"The company earns more than 2 lakh revenue per day, but all the power which is generated from the power project is sold to the Government and what the Government had assured us turned out to be bundle of lies. The company is not spending anything on the local area development as well, We want that Chief Secretary should intervene in this matter," said another local Mohammad Sadiq. |
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