The Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) on Monday issued the power curtailment schedule for Srinagar district. Separate schedules were issued for Shopian and Pulwama districts also.
The corporation is also in the process of releasing the curtailment programme for other districts of Kashmir as well.
After the release of the schedule, the consumers can get a fair idea about when the power supply will be available and when not; and plan accordingly.
Going by the hardships people face during harsh winters there should not have been any curtailment at all. But authorities say they are forced to do so in view of the increasing gap between demand and the supply.
Now since the curtailment programme has been announced, KPDCL must strictly follow it. There should not be any unscheduled power cuts, which become the cause of further mental agony for the consumers.
The authorities must take all measures to ensure that consumers are not made to suffer further. Senior government officials recently said that availability of power supply is linked to public support for electricity bill payment and metering, and that feeders of better response areas would get more power supply.
Surely, the public should support KPDCL and do whatever is required. The consumers must pay the bills on time so that the corporation generates the revenue on expected lines.
Some reports have been doing rounds in media from time to time that several J&K government departments and Central Government departments operating here owe huge money to PDD as they do not either pay the bills at all, or pay irregularly.
If the reports are true, then the authorities must go tough against them and recover the huge pending payments. The government departments must set an example so that common people get motivated to follow the rules.
If the government officials violate the norms, how can the common people be told to adhere to norms? The PDD must make all efforts to make Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant in power generation. The government must support the department.
Some people say that power is generated here and same power is then bought from outside at higher rates and used here. They want an end to this practice so that the frequent power crisis are over for ever. J&K must have enough projects here to generate the power, that can be used only here.