Annoyed over the frequent power outages in Jammu and Kashmir The National Democratic Party Indian (NDPI) J&K UT Chief Rajesh Gupta expressing concern over the dwindling situation of electricity supply in the Jammu region, on Tuesday urged Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha to take all possible steps for providing 24X7 power to bail out industry and common households from the crisis. Gupta said National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, which transmits most of it outside Jammu and Kashmir, leaving the state with frequent power cuts, especially in winter when the demand nears 1,900 megawatts.
NDPI president said that the current scenario in the Jammu region as far as electricity supply is concerned is quite unfortunate because even the areas having the latest smart meters are not being spared from unscheduled power cuts leaving aside the situation of consumers having old meters. He said despite the installation of smart meters people of Jammu are not getting a regular power supply.
NDPI leader said, Jammu and Kashmir has been able to produce only 3500 megawatts of electricity under various governments during the past 75 years. With the energy crises in J&K worsening every winter, the impact of which is most severely felt in Kashmir valley, there is a perception among the common man that the energy generated by the NHPC owned hydro projects in the State was being sold to other States while J&K was being starved. Gupta further appealed for free electricity and water to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that free
electricity and water was the fundamental right of the people of J&K. He said that what has been given to Jammu and Kashmir for the last seven decades was openly publicized, but what was being taken from here was
never mentioned.
Gupta said that there was a stock of resources in Jammu and Kashmir. Throwing light on water resources of Jammu and Kashmir, He said that Union Territory can produce that much electricity, which can meet half the country’s consumption, including J&K. “J&K Union Territory despite being rich in resources, we are being sold at expensive prices,” Gupta said.
Power-starved J&K needs to stop transmitting outside the UT: NDPI
