Back to Square One
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: November 09 2012 -
It's funny, but true. When the Governments of neighbouring States like Nagaland could ensure uninterrupted power supply to its consumers despite having no power generating units of their own, the Government of Manipur has not been able to provide the same facility to the people although it generates its own electricity.
This contradictory situation too had been pointed out in an earlier ruling of the Gauhati High Court.
Acting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in against erratic power supply in the State by three concerned citizens who contended that failure of providing 'reliable and uninterrupted' electric supply to the citizens is a violation of Article 21 of Constitution of India, a Division Bench of Gauhati High Court, Imphal Branch in January last year issued notices to the Commissioner (Power), Government of Manipur and the Chief Engineer of the State Electricity Department seeking an explanation over the continued failure of ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the consumers who regularly pay their electricity bills.
A day after the court directive, the Electricity Department started a mass drive against illegal connections and non-payment of electricity bills.
Consequently, a number of defaulters were penalized and outstanding bills collected under the relevant Act.
However, as expected, the drive of the Electricity Department soon fizzled out and we do not know what happened to the court directive any more.
Now, EVERYTHING is back to NORMAL, with consumers hardly getting power supply for 5 hours in a day.
The reason for this pathetic power supply has been cited as the drastic fluctuation in the State's power share which it supposed to receive from other States after the production level in various power projects dwindled following shortage of water to feed the turbines for generating power.
This is one fatality of over dependence on the power plants of other States while Manipur has immense potential lying untapped for generating power not only to meet its domestic requirements but also for selling the surplus power to other needy States.
But this has never been case and the problem of erratic power supply continues to haunt the mind of the people.
As a matter of fact, the problem of power supply in Manipur has remained so chronic and for so long that one may find it difficult to jog his/her mind to recall the last time when they really enjoy uninterrupted power supply.
To tide over the recurring power crisis in Manipur, the State Government and more particularly the officials of Electricity Department need to look beyond 'load-shedding', and work out for a permanent solution to the problem with efficacy and sincerity.
Patting themselves and proclaiming how much they have been able to collect taxes after introduction of pre-paid system won't work at all.
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