Protest against 'illegally' laid power line in Panipat enters 50th day

The protest of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) of Sector-40 of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), under the banner of Haryana Sectors’ Confederation, against an illegally laid high tension (HT) line to supply electricity to a private colony entered its 50th day today. Residents alleged that no official of Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) or the HSVP was admitting to the laying of power cables illegally in their sector.

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The protesting members warned that if these cables were not removed from their sector, they would hold a mega candle march, from the protest site in Sector-40 to the residence of Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda. They said members of all other RWAs would also participate in the candle march.

They said that had been protesting against the "illegal" act and several officers had visited the protest site many times but no one was in the capacity to give a satisfactory reply to residents. The protesting members said that they had submitted a memorandum to the state Education Minister and the Deputy Commissioner a month ago, but no action had been initiated so far.

Satpal Kandhol, president of the association, said officials of the sub-urban subdivision of the UHBVN had laid an 11-KV feeder HT line to facilitate the adjoing private colony, Shubhangan, from their sector.

Kandhol claimed that this HT line crossing through Sector-40 was totally illegal. This HT line is being laid very close to the 4-marla residential plots in the sector, which could become a reason for a big mishap, he said.

Residents further alleged that when they confronted the contractor for laying this line, he went away, but managed to lay the line on the night of November 25.

Baljeet Singh, District Coordinator, Haryana Sectors Confederation, said that various officers, including Executive Engineers of the UHBVN and HSVP visited the spot but they didn’t give any satisfactory reply about laying the HT lines in Sector 40. Even, EO, HSVP, said that he had not been informed about the laying of power cables and electricity poles in the sector.

He further said the residents of Sectors 7, 8, 18, 24 and 40 were forced to face a lot of problems due to poor cleanliness of roads. The residents were paying high development charges to the HSVP but even 10 per cent of that amount was not being spent on basic amenities, the coordinator alleged.

Sector 7 RWA president Randheer Singh and vice-president Rampat Naink said that thousands of people were living in Sectors 7, 8, 18, 24 and 40 but the HSVP had not even made any plan for the construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) so far, he said.