Irked By Power Failure, Rangwar Gets Innovative In Protest

by Shah Hilal

Kupwara

As the Prime Minister Narender Modi launched the scheme of Pradhan Mantra Sehej Biljli Har Gar Yojana, alternatively known as Suabhagya in 2017 which ensures to achieve universal household electrification in the country by the end of 2018.

A village in north Kashmir’s Lolab without an electricity transformer. Pic: Shah Hilal

The same scheme was launched in Jammu and Kashmir to benefit the poor households and electricity connection free of costs in rural areas of the valley.

Under this scheme, the work was started in Gani Mohalla area of Rangwar in Lolab in September in 2018. But the sluggish work did not help complete the work.

“We have not seen the light from past six months in the area which has put us in trouble as our children’s are compelled to do their homework under the candlelight,” said Manzoor Ahmad. “We have been paying electricity bills on time Rs 350 per month without consuming the electricity from last six months.”

“When they started work for the project, our children’s spent five days with them. They lifted the electric poles on their shoulders from the main road to the place to installation”, said Ghulam Rasool Sofi. “The electricity department inspector of the area Ghulam Ahmad told us to collect the amount of Rs 150 so that we can bring the material but nothing happened.”

While everything was done, the work stopped. It just needed a transformer to be installed and the area would have seen the light of the scheme. As they visited the officers and could not get a positive response, the village youth managed a huge wooden log and lifted it and placed at the junction where the transformer was to be installed.

Executive Engineer Kupwara Mohd Iqbal said that due to the code of conduct we could not complete the work. “Now elections are about to finish, we will resume work from Monday and in the coming week, we will complete the project.

But can ‘code of conduct’ encourage officials to get into literal misconduct, residents ask.

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