The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has come under sharp public criticism after enforcing prolonged power curtailments of up to eight hours daily, sparking outrage among residents and raising serious concerns over planning, accountability, and power sector reforms.
Residents of areas including Shaheen Colony, Bilal Coloney, Gousia Coloney and Yayil Wanbal Rawalpora and Syed Saleh Coloney, despite being equipped with smart meters, have reported continued and frequent power outages. This development directly contradicts repeated government assurances of uninterrupted 24×7 electricity supply in metered zones.
According to locals, KPDCL has, over the past two months, been implementing scheduled and unscheduled power cuts spread across various time slots from morning till evening. These prolonged and unpredictable outages have severely disrupted daily life, especially at a time when students are appearing in examinations and patients suffering from respiratory ailments depend on electricity for oxygen support.
The Citizens Forum of the area, in a statement, strongly condemned the attitude of KPDCL officials. The forum alleged that officials attempted to justify the curtailments by linking them to electricity theft in unmetered areas such as Check-Wanbal.
Rejecting this explanation, the forum president stated that residents of metered localities are “civilized, educated, and responsible citizens,” including civil servants and professionals working in both government and private sectors.
The forum has issued a stern warning that if the ongoing power curtailments are not immediately addressed, residents will be compelled to resort to a blockade of Road, an action that could potentially lead to law and order challenges for the administration.
Comments are closed.