In this chilly winter season, scores of villages from North Kashmir’s Kupwara district are reeling under continuous darkness while locals yearn for a bulb to get light during dark hours.The worst affect villages include Meeliyal, Kachhama, Rashanpora, Dardpora, Warsun, Batargam, Zurhama, Vilgam Haihama, Lolab, Kalaroos, Chowkibal, Harai, Batpora, Bungam, Gooniora, Hlamtproa, Sohipora, Sulkoote, Muqam-e-Shahewali, Anderhama, Bumhama and Drugmulla and Gugloosa. Locals say they feel they are untouchables as administration has left them on the mercy of Almighty.Nobody listens to us. Our pleas and protests go unheard,” said a villager Ghulam Qadir to news agency CNS who added that education of the children are getting affected due to non-availability of the electricity.“We are already facing shortage of LPG and other sources of energy in this shivering cold weather,” the locals said.“There is no accountability in Power Development Department. The power authorities at Tikker, Armpora, Vilgam, Krusan and Sogam grid stations are frequently resorting to long and unscheduled cuts both in metered and un-metered areas,” they said.
They said that during this chilly season PDD has taken them for a ride while no official from district administration comes to their rescue.“We voted in last Assembly elections with a hope to get electricity but elected representatives disappeared once they made it to the Assembly. We have now decided not to trust these opportunist politicians and will not vote for anyone,” said an elderly man.When contacted a PDD official in a hurry said that they should not be blamed for mess, but answers should be sought from those who sold power projects to NHPC. (CNS)