It is disheartening that those entities in the Union Territory, which had promised 24X7 power supply after the installation of Smart Meters, are nowhere to be seen. People are facing confusion and challenges with regard to these so-called smart meters. The billing calculations by these ‘over-smart' instruments are often beyond the comprehension of consumers and even the officials of PDD. This has resulted in prolonged and unexpected power cuts, causing difficulties for everyone in the region.
On one side, people are receiving bills having shocking amounts as their pending dues towards PDD and on the other side, the spending on buying candles has touched skies because the hours of power cut are expanding with each passing day.
It was promised first that metered areas will have the privilege of round the clock power supply, which was never fulfilled, then came the electronic meters to record flow of electrons in the PDD conductors reaching people's households but the promise remained promise and on ground power scenario was marred by conventional traits of daily and seasonal outages as these used to be in 1980s and 1990s.
This was not enough, because authorities renewed their promise by associating 24X7—condition with installation of Smart Meters, but looking into the power crisis under which J&K is reeling with power cuts overshadowing rest of the things, people by now must have got the idea that their dependence on candles, inverters and generators is everlasting because helmsmen in J&K seems to believe undauntedly that the promises are meant to be broken.
No doubt, due to sharp fall in power generation from all hydroelectric projects as water flow has gone down considerably due to deficit of rain water there is crisis like situation but what about purchasing electricity from outside to fulfill the demand as the incumbents boast that they have put a check on unnecessary spending of exchequer by the successive rulers of the erstwhile state, and also hundreds of crores of rupees are being saved by this dispensation by stopping the Darbar Move practice? The money saved through aforesaid actions and kept in reserve should be used for this extremely necessary amenity as children, youth, aged and for that matter one and all are suffering due to frequent power outages.
It is totally illogical that people at helm should wait for rains to come to fill the rivers with waters for providing electricity to people of J&K. The affected lot in the Union Territory is of the view that colossal development as people in power claim will be of no use if the power cables of the region will remain lifeless due to load shedding, which is the new achievement of the people sitting at helm as darkness is the new norm in the UT, thanks to PDD and its ilk.
