JAMMU, Jun 11: Senior BJP leader and former Sarpanch Adv. Devraj Sharma has strongly criticized the Power Development Department (PDD) and concerned authorities over their alleged failure to restore the 1×10 MVA, 33/11 KV Receiving Station at Bansultan, Miran Sahib, which has remained non-functional for nearly one year after being damaged during last year’s floods.
Expressing serious concern over the worsening power crisis in Miran Sahib and adjoining areas, Adv. Sharma said that thousands of consumers are paying the price for official negligence and administrative apathy. He stated that despite the passage of almost a year, no concrete initiative has been taken to energize and operationalize the receiving station, which was commissioned under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme at a substantial cost to the public exchequer.
“The people are unable to understand how a vital power infrastructure project built with crores of taxpayers’ money can remain defunct for an entire year while the authorities continue to remain silent spectators,” Sharma remarked.He said that the prolonged closure of the receiving station has severely impacted the power supply network in the entire Miran Sahib belt, resulting in frequent unscheduled power cuts and voltage fluctuations. According to local residents, electricity is often available for barely an hour before another lengthy outage follows, making life extremely difficult during the ongoing summer season.
Adv. Sharma questioned the planning and execution behind the project, stating that if the site was vulnerable to floods, adequate protective measures should have been incorporated from the beginning. “Public infrastructure is created to provide relief and better services to the people, not to become a monument of administrative failure after the first natural calamity,” he observed.Highlighting the hardships being faced by residents, he said that students preparing for board examinations, competitive tests and other academic pursuits are among the worst sufferers. Frequent interruptions in electricity are affecting studies, online educational activities and routine household work.
He further pointed out that elderly citizens, patients, women and children are facing immense discomfort due to prolonged outages during the scorching heat. Shopkeepers, small traders and daily wage earners are also suffering financial losses because of the unreliable power supply.”The public has shown remarkable patience despite enduring months of inconvenience. However, patience should not be mistaken for helplessness. The administration must understand that reliable electricity is a basic necessity and not a luxury,” Sharma said.
The former Sarpanch alleged that repeated representations and complaints from local residents have failed to evoke any meaningful response from the concerned authorities. He said that the lack of urgency in restoring such an important installation reflects poorly on governance and accountability.Adv. Devraj Sharma urged the Jammu and Kashmir Administration, senior PDD officials and the concerned engineering authorities to immediately take corrective measures and ensure the early restoration of the Bansultan Receiving Station. He also demanded a transparent explanation regarding the delay and sought a definite timeline for making the station operational.
Warning that public resentment is mounting with every passing day, Sharma said that the government must act decisively to address the genuine grievances of the people and ensure uninterrupted power supply in the region.”The people of Miran Sahib deserve answers, accountability and action. A receiving station established with public money cannot be allowed to remain defunct indefinitely while consumers continue to suffer in darkness,” he asserted.