Srinagar, Jan 11: The Power Development Department is resorting to some delaying tactics in announcement of a revised curtailment schedule for the City, which the PDD claims would get rid of the “pesky” unscheduled cuts.
 Even though over month ago, the Commissioner Secretary, PDD BR Sharma announced the revised schedule would be released within a week, the timetable is awaited while the  unscheduled cuts continue to the irk the commuters.
 Following massive public resentment against the PDD failure to adhere to the curtailment schedule by resorting to frequent power cuts, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had asked the PDD to frame the revised schedule which be adhered to strictly.
 For improvement of the power supplies, particularly in the summer capital, the CM even got the 45 MW Pampore Gas turbine started.
 But till now the revised plan is awaited.
 The erratic power supply has more irked the non-metered areas, which as per the consumers get mere 12 odd hours of supplies a day.
 “After every hour of supply, there’s a curtailment of an hour as if the power plays hide and seek,” said Sajad Ahmed, a resident of Kalai Ander.
 As about the metered areas, the consumers complained of facing some four to five cuts a day amounting to a total curtailment of around three hours.
 “The other day power remained off for an hour in the morning, followed by another hour cut in the afternoon and the third one in the evening,” said a local of Rawalpora area.
 Interestingly, the metered clientele which amounts to some 58 % of the total of 1,64,366 connections in the summer capital didn’t face cuts till last year.
 This year, however, the metered consumers too were put in the curtailment list.
 Sources attributed the delay in the revised curtailment schedule to PDD’s failure in formulating a timetable which could be adhered to strictly.
 “We had formulated a plan but that would mean more curtailment so we are trying a new plan,” said an official requesting not to be named.
 When contacted the PDD Chief Engineer, Mushtaq Ahmed said the new scheduled has been framed but was under tests.
 “We are seeing how it behaves and in the coming days we’ll announce the new schedule,” the Chief Engineer told Greater Kashmir.
 “There’ll be no change in the curtailment schedule for the City,” he said.
 The PDD says it was utilizing the additional 500 MWs of power announced by Prime Minister during his past year October visit to Kashmir. The Pampore turbine generates some 45 KW power in the evenings.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST