A majority of the transformers supplied by the contractors in Rajouri district under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) are allegedly made of sub-standard material.
The Rajouri MLA raised the issue with the Executive Engineer, EM & RE, Rajouri Division, here today.
Following the power crises in Rajouri district, especially in the Rajouri Assembly constituency, MLA Qamar Hussain today held a meeting with the Power Development Department (PDD) officials, including the Executive Engineer.
Hussain expressed resentment over frequent damages to the transformers supplied by the contractors under the RGGVY. “The material used in these transformers is of very low quality and most of the transformers installed in the remote areas developed faults within months of installation,” the MLA said and sought an inquiry into the matter.
The legislator said he had already raised the issue in the Assembly and would demand an inquiry against the suppliers in the forthcoming Assembly session.
“Crores of rupees have been misappropriated by the officials concerned in nexus with the contractors by supplying sub-standard transformers,” Hussain alleged.
In many areas of Rajouri district, people are without electricity for months together due to damaged transformers and the casual approach by the PDD officials has only aggravated the problems of common man.
“There is no power in Lower Dodaj village in the Darhal area for the last two months after the transformer was damaged in the first week of October. We approached the junior engineer concerned who directed us to take it to the PDD workshop at Rajouri for early repair. We hired a vehicle and brought it to Rajouri on October 28, but the officials at the workshop refused to repair it saying we needed to follow a proper channel,” said Mohammad Nissar, a local.
He said after several requests the transformer was repaired and brought back by the villagers on November 2. “But immediately after its installation, it again developed some snag,” he said.
Inhabitants of the adjoining areas had recently held a protest demonstration before the office of the Deputy Commissioner and warned the authorities to repair and install the transformer within a week or face action.