SHAFQAT SHEIKH
Yet no one can imagine that the Bunjwah region in Kishtwar district is one of the remotest regions with the status of Tehsil headquarter where it is bordered by Padder, Himachal, Bhalessa, and Saroor. Nearly 70 km away from the district headquarters the region is yet not having proper electrification wherein some hamlets and villages have not even seen lighting bulbs in their homes. The area is hilly terrain where the weather changes its face after every hour and no one can predict the next few hours or days.
The electrification was done earlier before 1990 and some of the work is ongoing in some areas but no proper schedule is maintained and no one is caring for the suffering of the common masses.
For decades-long no renovation and repairment took place as such poor consumers are paying flat rates which are increased from time to time and now crossing limits and increased by more than 920 per month as there is no improvement in electricity.
The author is one of the worst sufferings of this stepmother’s behavior and attitude toward the department who even fails to replace the damaged wooden pole which is posing a risk to every passerby beside that there is no outstanding left from the author’s family.
One thing is noticing that Bunjwah is getting electricity supply from Thathri Grid Station with a feeder name Kahara Bunjwah which is divided in two from Dunadi with an approx distance of 40km to headquarters Bunjwah where the wires and poles are installed in 1990 and till now no renovation takes place.
An electric grid station stands for sanction for Bunjwah since 2016 but till now the concerned department has put deaf ears and blind eyes to it as this is one of the major and long pending demands of the whole society.
The sudden hikes in the electricity bills for June are one of the major concerns which are doubled unnecessary and without any proper inspections as such the inspections team was to check out bypass meter lines and illegal connections where they charged double from those who earlier were paying the flat rates.
There was a huge hue and cry among the consumers but the employees continuously try their best to suppress and harass such voices that are raised against their wrongdoings thereby forcing poor consumers for installing electric meters by way of submitting documents to employees who after that can collect the hefty amount from poor consumers.
It’s the time that the employees posted in the Bunjwah region are even paying 460 per month when the electricity tariffs of poor consumers are increased double which creates a question mark on the department, are not these employees having electronic appliances in their homes?
The poor consumers are willing to pay any tariffs as per norms but will the services provided to them regularly without hours or days together curtailments and even will be the damaged wooden poles and barbed wires replaced and renovated to avoid any incidents and risks that are and is happening around.
The poor consumers seek personal intervention from the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Managing Director of Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd to constitute a team and fix the electricity tariffs in rural areas particularly Bunjwah which is snow-prone areas and shutdown continues for days together when clouds are on the sky.
(The author is Freelance Writer and Columnist from Bunjwah Kishtwar and can be reached at [email protected], 9419974577)
