National Conference Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi on Monday said that the J&K administration remains shockingly unperturbed by the predicaments of people in wake of the worst ever power crises in Jammu and Kashmir.
The ruling dispensations both at the center and local level in J&K are sleeping over the pressing need to find an early solution to the worst ever power crises in Jammu and Kashmir, he alleged.
“Such a crisis has never been witnessed in the last three decades. On one hand, people have whimsically and high-handedly increased power tariffs and renewed old agreements. Tariff is also extracted forcefully notwithstanding the financial conditions of consumers.
Electric supply in the Valley is playing hide and seek with consumers. Ideally, the incumbent LG administration should have provided hassle-free electricity to people during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan.
Unfortunately, the consumers have been left high and dry. The power supply in certain areas does not even last long enough to charge mobile phones and inverters. The persisting crisis has impacted the daily lives of people besides dampening the festive spirit of the ongoing holy month of Ramzan,” he said.
Earlier when public representatives used to flag issues concerning people, the concerned officials would take no time to redress the issues, he said adding, “Today the situation is altogether different. Leisure shikara drives on Dal Lake won’t solve issues. Government is totally blind to the burgeoning issues concerning people. Earlier officials would pay heed to the issues raised by public representatives. But now they are completely overlooking the issues flagged by the general public and public representatives. There is no basis to the claims of the government’s good governance claims in Kashmir,” he said.
The persisting crisis is having a cascading effect on other vital areas, particularly the agriculture sector. The day-long power cuts have severely impacted left irrigation facilities and the supply of drinking potable water supply, fodder crops, Paddy, Orchards, and vegetable crops are drying due to electricity shortage. Livestock farmers in upper reaches and hinterlands are also at the receiving end of the executive apathy,” he said.
Asking the government to wake from its slumber, Masoodi demanded tangible steps from the government to redress the issues before it upsets local agriculture, tourism, and other public utility services.