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| ‘Lighting lives’ with darkness, three years of Govt's achievements | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 5: Courage, Vision and Dynamism, the three buzz words used by the State government to highlight its three year long achievements has been drawn over a full, multi-coloured advertisement page, but hardly would anyone miss the subtitles of the 'achievements highlighted' without noticing the one under the caption 'Power & Electrification-Lighting lives across the State'.
On a day the achievement is highlighted, police had to open in the air in Baramulla town to disperse yet another people's protest over the frustrating electric power scenario in the town.
Chairing a meeting of the PDD officials and those from the civil administration, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has spoken about 'managerial ability to ensure electric power supply to various areas in the Valley'.
Directions have also been given for formation of people's committees which would co-ordinate electric power supply in the area with the PDD engineers and the district administration.
If the State government had any managerial capacity then the people would not have to take to the streets asking for every civil amenity from electric power supply to a gas cylinder or a tin of kerosene oil.
'Energy audit-100% computerized consumer billing' is another achievement under the power sector as highlighted by the State government in its long list of three years' achievements. It looks like promising cars to people in areas those have no roads!
What will computerized billing do to bring solace to consumers frustrated by the absence of electricity in their areas?
What will the promise of a hearty meal do to a person suffering from gastro-enteritis? It is like adding insult to injury. The State government is promising computerized billing to electric power consumers when its basic duty to provide them sufficient energy remains unfulfilled.
The entire situation looks like a fiasco. The State government has reiterated its commitment to buy back both Salal and Uri hydel power projects from the NHPC when the NHPC has already refused to sell them to the State government. On the one hand the State government says it is incurring losses to the tune of over Rupees 2000 crores annually to buy power for the State and at the same time it says it will spend Rupees 6162 crores to buy back the projects from an unwilling seller.
Why are we trying to befool the common man who has been fed on the diet of hollow slogans for such a long time? In the same breath the State government says it doesn't have the capacity to import sufficient energy into the State to meet the daily electric power requirements of the people while asserting that it will incur colossal amounts to buy back the power projects. Where is the money? Government employees are promised to be engaged on permanent posts with temporary wages. Instead of appointing one person substantively against an available vacancy the financial crunch has forced the State government to engage three persons on stipendiary basis against a clear vacancy.
Accepting the reality is the first step to seek remedies. The State government has been behaving in the most illogical manner while dealing with the crises it faces. The government blames nature for the low water discharge in the local rivers, which is a normal phenomenon during the winter months. It also blames the consumers of pilferage. It blames the NHPC of offering a raw deal to the State over the resources used by the corporation those belong to the State. It also blames the authorities of the Northern Grid for taking unscheduled cuts. It has, in a nutshell, been blaming everybody other than itself. It is typical of a bad workman who quarrels with his own tools. Had it not been so, the State government would never have highlighted achievements in electricity sector while all it has done is spread darkness in the lives of the people. |
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