Jammu, August 13: While the government is talking about revamping the educational sector in the state the Power Development Department (PDD) seems working overtime to spoil the enthusiasm playing like a monster with Jammu students in this scorching summer by resorting to unscheduled power cuts particularly during the school hours thus leaving the student community sweating it out instead of devoting their attention towards their subjects.
The PDD headed by Dr Nirmal Singh is either being used by some powers to defame the Deputy Chief Minister and the BJP or the department is so oblivious of the matter that the education seems the last priority for it while the business sector is provided power even when there is less requirement of the same due to decrease in temperatures.
The schools in Jammu region have been facing severe power crunch telling upon the educational prospectus of the students who are unable to bear the heat as long power cuts are affected during the school hours even as during evenings when private evening markets run their business the power remains on for obvious reasons.
The condition of the government run hospitals is also similar as the patients are bearing the brunt of the long power cuts during peak summer hours as the department does not seem to be applying its mind of how to distribute the power so that all sections of the society who are in need of the power at particular times are provided succor! But then who listens?
Talking to Earth News Vibhu Sharma a student studying in Sri Ranbir Higher Secondary School said that their whole day of study gets wasted as they have to fight the heat instead of focusing their attention on books. He said that neither the teachers nor the students are able to pay attention to studies due to incessant heat during day time as the PDD has been resorting to unscheduled power cuts in the area for the last couple of days.
Ajay Gupta a teacher teaching at a renowned private institute said that PDD was playing like a monster with the student community by not providing the required electricity when it is required while the evenings get enough light particularly when the commercial markets start functioning adding it seems this is being done on certain considerations.
Gupta said that the government must understand that the schools whether private or government work between 8 am to 3 pm and small kids are inside the class rooms when the heat is at its peak but their life has been made miserable by the Power Development Department due to power cuts during this period thus hampering their studies very badly.
He said why can’t the department schedule power cuts in morning time upto 10 am when heat is less adding since the new government took over the electricity has witnessed total chaos and uncertainty saying it seems someone is out to defame the BJP as it is their ministries which are completely non-functional in the state.
Sandeep Singh a shopkeeper at Panjtirthi who is an ardent BJP supporter lamented that the party was being taken for a ride by the PDP by giving power department to Dr Nirmal Singh while it seems the administration is run by the PDP as otherwise how can one justify the miseries that Jammuites are facing due to power cuts in spite of the fact that such an important ministry is headed by Jammu based BJP leader.
Echoing the sentiment that is written large on every Jammuite these days Singh said that they feel cheated by the BJP as nothing has changed since it took reins of power in the state adding they no longer bother for their voters cautioning that it can spell a doom for the party in Jammu.
Another shopkeeper also echoed similar sentiments saying BJP ministers are working as dummies and busy in enjoying the power while Jammuites are facing the brunt with no one to listen to their grievances.
It seems the anger is simmering among Jammuites against the PDD held by non less than the Deputy Chief Minister who belongs to this region and being a teacher himself knows very well how difficult it is for the students and teachers to work without electricity in this scorching summer but still no attention is paid towards the problem. The anger gets compounded with the fact that earlier Jammuites used to blame Kashmiris for discrimination but nowadays they can’t even blame them and instead curse themselves for voting those politicians who don’t even bother to work for the basic amenities of life of Jammuites particularly our next generation and small kids.
It is better if the ministers’ particularly PDD behaves and understands the anguish of Jammuites before it also slips out of their hands like AIIMS issue which ultimately harms the BJP and the local population of the region.
It’s hoped the better sense prevails from top to bottom at the PDD sooner than later.