Residents of non-metered areas lament power cuts

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 2

An eight-hour electricity curtailment schedule issued by the Power Development Department (PDD) for non-ametered areas of Jammu has drawn flak from people as the department has pushed people into darkness during the winter months.

Though the government has announced that there will be no cuts in the metered areas in Jammu city, comprising 71 wards, but majority of the towns and villages in the region will face the cuts as the PDD has failed to complete the e-metering and implement the Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme (RAPDRP) as per plan. As per the schedule, the un-metered feeders in rural areas will face curtailment of eight hours — three hours between 5 am and 11 am, two hours between 1 pm and 5 pm and three hours between 5 pm and 11 pm. This schedule has been circulated by the Chief Engineer, Electric, Maintenance and RE Wing. However, people are raising a question mark over the failure of the government to complete the e-metering project initiated way back in 2005.

“There will be no curtailment after electricity infrastructure is improved under the RAPDRP and e-meters installed. The system in the rural areas can only improve after upgrading the existing system,” said Raghu Singh, Executive Engineer.