Kupwara: People across Handwara town and its adjacent areas are aghast over the failure of the authorities to provide proper power supply to them during the prevailing hot weather conditions.
“We fail to understand why the concerned department is still providing electric supply to the consumers in Handwara on the winter schedule when, in other parts of Kashmir, people are getting 18 to 20 hour daily electric supply,” said Dr Khursheed from Handwara.
Tariq Ahmad, a resident of the area, said that the department had failed to ensure adequate electric supply during the prevailing scorching heat conditions.
Another local Javid Ahmad Tantry said, “We are being deprived of our basic right even after paying over Rs 1400 as monthly electricity bill.”
Similar complaints were received from several villages of Rajwar Handwara where people are upset with the usual power cuts.
Executive Engineer Power Development Department (PDD) Handwara Muhammed Maqbool Lone said that the receiving station at Chotipora Handwara was overloaded and unless its capacity was augmented, the problem would persist.
“The available infrastructure does not support the need of consumers. We are running seven feeders on Chotipora receiving station due to which it gets overloaded,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Imam Din told Greater Kashmir that the capacity of Chotipora receiving station would be augmented in a month.
“The new transformer to be installed there has got administrative approval and people will soon get usual power supply,” he said.