MUZAFFARABAD: Waking up to the resentment in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) capital at excessive loadshedding and poor electricity voltage, AJK’s top administrative official has called upon the federal secretary for water and power to do the needful to alleviate the problem.

Sources told Dawn that Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal had written a letter to Federal Secretary Nargis Sethi on the direction of Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, who had lately claimed to the utter surprise of the people that Muzaffarabad had been exempted from loadshedding.

According to sources, Muzaffarabad was being fed through a 132-kV transmission line from Abbottabad, constructed by Wapda way back in 1976. This broken-down line was being operated under severe loaded conditions due to which frequent power interruptions were being faced not only in Muzaffarabad but also in the adjoining districts of Neelum and Hattian Bala.

Sources said Mr Gondal had drawn the attention of Ms Sethi towards the very problem, maintaining that the power tripping was taking place in the evenings with rapidity and thus adversely affecting the normal daily life.

This occurrence had assumed such a serious proportion that widespread agitation across Muzaffarabad Division had become a serious law and order issue, he had maintained.Sources said the AJK government functionaries were also displeased with the alleged indifference of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) to their woes about poor management for their region.

In a veiled reference to it, the chief secretary had pointed out that since Pesco was based outside the territorial jurisdiction of AJK, its senior management was not accessible to the AJK electricity department officials for timely feedback or rectification measures, source said.

They said Mr Gondal had proposed to Ms Sethi to depute either the senior staff of her ministry or Pesco for an “open katchery” in Muzaffarabad or a formal meeting with public representatives in his office to alleviate the degree of public concern.

Published in Dawn, September 6th , 2014