Jammu, April 27 : Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee today came down heavily on the administration for the worst power crisis and warned the Govt. to take immediate steps to improve the situation before it further worsens.
Addressing a joint Press Conference at Party HQ Jammu PCC Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Treasurer Rajnisah Sharma, General Secretary Th. Manmohan Singh, Spokesperson Sahil Sharma, the JKPCC leaders came down heavily on the Govt for its failure to cope up with the situation of power crisis for the past several days in entire Jammu and Kashmir, while situation is worst in the hot Jammu Region.
Chief Spokesperson Mr. Ravinder Sharma said that this kind of situation is unprecedented and never witnessed in the past, as the Govt. is able to make available of around 50% of the requirement of power as against requirement of 1300 MW only 600 to 700 MW is being available to Jammu region while 1000 to 900 MW against 1700 MW, requirement of power in Kashmir region. It is admitted fact that power consumption is less in Jammu region while it provided more revenue to the governments. At present Jammu region is facing scorching heat and worst affected due to power short fall while in winter it will be worst for Kashmir. The Govt. has totally failed to improve the situation since it is just beginning of the hot summer in Jammu and power crisis has been the worst and this has badly affected the water supply system especially in rural belt of Jammu region, due prolonged 12 to 14 hours power cuts while in rural areas it is more worst.
They also lashed out at the imposition of water tax in rural areas where there is no regular and proper supply of water during normal times also. While the Govt has also imposed tax on private wells, hand pumps and other individual sources of water developed by the rural population at their own expense of lacs of rupees to meet their family or Mohala requirements of water. The Govt. is fleecing the people in the name of unreasonable taxes of all sorts. The common power consumers are being served huge inflated bills while the big sharks are not being checked. The people don’t get regular power but are getting regular inflated bills, which is most unfortunate.
They demanded total withdrawal of water tax in rural areas besides seeking amnesty, for domestic power consumers and others apart from correcting the faulty power billing system.
The senior Congress leaders also questioned the reports of finalization of delimitation report, without proper deliberations with the stake holders especially political parties over the highly defective and faulty daft report.
The Congress has remained one of the largest political party in Jammu and Kashmir so far but was not consulted and also other regional opposition parties who had been part of legislature in the past, were never taken on board while an eye wash of public hearing was conducted by the DC. If the faulty report is not revisited and rectified, it will be great injustice to vast majority of people in Jammu region in particular and J&K as a whole. The Congress strongly lodged its protest over the draft report including clubbing of Rajouri-Poonch of Jammu region with Anantnag and Kulgam for Lok Sabha seat. It shall fight against injustice with people and every possible manner, as faulty delimitation means rigging before elections.
They also lashed out the Govt. over the delay in the regularization of daily wagers, need based, adhoc and contractual workers at the earliest, in all departments, in a fair manner.