Additional sufferings

As the people across the Valley are suffering in absence of adequate electricity since the arrival of winter season, the consumers may witness further hardships as the employees under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Power Engineers and Employees Coordination Committee (JKPEECC) has called for work boycott from December 17 night as mark of protest against their pending demands. The employees have made it clear that it won’t carry out any repairs or restoration work except the area where any hospital is located. They have also announced that it won’t rectify any fault. It has presented a four-point formula to the government, saying that in case their demands are not met they will continue to go ahead with their protest programme. Being a crucial sector for the common man, one fails to understand why the government is not intervening well on time to ensure that the possible sufferings of people are prevented. One fails to understand who will ensure electricity to the people in case any technical snag occurs during the period. The people have already been suffering in absence of adequate electricity, and this decision of employees would certainly land many people to lurch. The protest is being organized in the bone-chilling cold when the electricity becomes the need of the hour for people to keep themselves warm. There is a need to take all these employees on board as intervention of the higher officials at this juncture is must to prevent hardships to the people. Else, the government should consider looking for a back plan for the protest period so that the consumers here in Kashmir are not pushed to the wall.