7 years on, Prang residents await commissioning of 3 MW

Prang, Dec 26 : Residents of Prang area here in held Kashmir are facing acute shortage of electricity    as the construction work of the three Megawatt receiving station is going on at snail’s pace.

Locals told Greater Kashmir the receiving station was approved seven years ago by the Power Development Department. However, it is yet to be commissioned.

Locals said the construction of the receiving station was halted several times due to the “lackadaisical attitude” of the PDD officials.  

 The receiving station if commissioned would benefit about 8,000 consumers in the Prang and adjoining villages.

 The station is almost complete with regard to the construction of infrastructure; the equipment required for the station has also been acquired however there is dispute on the transmission line with the villagers of Sadunanra.

 However, residents of Sadunanra blamed PDD for the delay. “The dispute which the department is speaking about is three years old. The PDD is not serious about commissioning this project. Had PDD officials shown slight interest villagers would have easily allowed them to lay the transmission line through the village,” locals added.

 “We are demanding electricity, we pay bills, we have nothing to do with false promises which the department is making for the past five years, we want power,” they said.

 “We approached the concerned Deputy Commissioner and PDD officials on many occasions and apprised them about the issue, but response from their side was cold,” they added.

 Residents said they are now planning to meet the Chief Minister Omer Abdullah and apprise him about the issue. “We are left with no option than to seek CM’s intervention,” they added.

 Superintend Engineer Power Development Department Mushtaq Ahmed said: “The issue has been taken up with the Deputy Commissioner Bandipora. It is due a dispute with a framer that department could not commission the receiving station. However it would be made functional within a few days.”

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SA/EN