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Dimapur, Nov. 20 (EMN): The Nagaland Youth Congress and Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) minority department, with support from all Congress frontal organisations and Dimapur District Congress Committee, on Saturday held a ‘dharna’ and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister of Nagaland through the deputy commissioner of Dimapur, demanding dependable power supply in the state.
NPCC President K Therie stated that Nagaland has the most erratic power supply in the whole nation, and this was one of the factors that led Niti Aayog to grade ‘Nagaland as the worst governed state’.
He stated that during his short tenure as Power minister, together with the former chief engineer Lanu Toy, the Doyang Hydro Project and various other projects were commissioned but “after almost 19 years, Nagaland government has no policy in providing uninterrupted power supply to the people”.
He claimed that the government has no programme or policy to upgrade distribution, advancement as well as power generation. He asserted that the government had spent crores in maintaining the Power department including the purchase of power but ‘we are unable to have dependable power supply, thereby no industry or business activities are successful here in Nagaland’.
He asserted that there were many qualified youths fit to work in the Power department but they are working outside the state due to lack of platform.
“If you look around our neighbouring states, we are living in a dungeon compared to them,” he opined, adding that if the Power department employees are given opportunities, they will be able to make it.
“This department is one of the most disciplined and efficient departments but I can see that the government and the politicians have only one objective, and that is how to loot and get commission.
“If distribution and transmission materials are given to the engineers, who are qualified to do the work, we would not face this situation but whatever funds that come, our government is looting for commission and giving us short supplies manipulating the people, and they buy votes when the election comes,” Therie alleged.
Further, Therie asked the public to be sensible while voting.
“We have lost our future because of proxy voters, and you have no future because of your own carelessness and this should not repeat,” he stated while requesting to the youths to avoid proxy voting in the next election.
The chairman of NPCC minority department, Rajesh Sethi, stated that real change will come only when there are facilities. He claimed that the citizens get only 8-10 hours of electricity but ‘get bills equal to 24 hours’.
The memorandum stated that ‘Nagaland is plagued by erratic and unpredictable power supply since 2003, continuing to damage home application and paralysing the struggling industrial business activities’.
It said that erratic power supply bills had only compounded the problems faced by consumers, forcing even honest and diligent consumers into bill payment problems, which could be avoided.
“Matters are much worse in Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, which produces the bulk of the state’s commercial economy activity. The business community of Dimapur town area have been suffering untold misery on account of erratic power supply and never ending power cuts,” it read.
Normal business activities are disrupted because of power cuts for long hours on end during business hours, leading to low productivity, it added.
Further, it said that investment in alternative power supply options had heavily increased, thus adding to the burdens of the already heavily burdened business community.
According to the memorandum, their three demands included dependable power supply, instead of disconnection, those found hooking be provided with free connection, and ensure accurate billing and timely meter reading with bill delivery.