In a dramatic display of frustration over persistent power outages, a Congress MLA in Uttar Pradesh (UP) took matters into his own hands, disconnecting the electricity supply to the houses of power department officials. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, highlights the growing public anger over unreliable power services in the region.
Virendra Jati, the Congress MLA from Jhabrera in Haridwar district, led a group of supporters to the residences of senior electricity department officials, armed with a ladder and tools to cut the power lines. The targeted officials included a superintending engineer, executive engineers. Jati personally climbed electricity poles and roofs to disconnect the power supply to their homes.
Jati stated that his actions were prompted by the failure of repeated appeals to the electricity department to address the issue of prolonged and unscheduled power cuts. He claimed that his constituency had been experiencing power cuts lasting for five to eight hours daily, causing significant disruption to daily life and economic losses. He said he had been raising the issue of power cuts with the department for 10 days, but no heed was paid. "Children need to go to school, livestock must be given water, and many essential household activities depend on power," Jati explained, emphasizing the critical importance of a reliable electricity supply.
Local residents expressed their support for Jati's actions, stating that they had been suffering from unannounced power outages for a long time. One resident noted that Jati had previously brought the issue to the attention of department officials, but the situation had not improved. "His logic is quite simple. If the common people keep on suffering long spells of power outages the officials should be made to suffer too," the local added. While some felt that the MLA's actions were extreme, his supporters defended him, saying that he was expressing empathy with the people he represents.
Electricity department officials, however, have defended the power cuts, attributing them to power shortages and the need for rostering to manage distribution. One executive engineer stated that the situation was unlikely to improve soon due to power shortages in winter. The department has filed a complaint against Jati at the Roorkee Civil Lines Police Station, alleging that he cut the power lines without a proper shutdown, which could have led to a major accident and was a direct interference in government work.
This incident underscores the challenges faced by many regions in India in providing consistent and reliable power supply. It also highlights the frustration of citizens and their representatives when basic services are not delivered effectively. The incident raises questions about the accountability of public officials and the effectiveness of mechanisms for addressing public grievances. It remains to be seen how the authorities will respond to the complaint filed against Jati and whether this incident will lead to improvements in the power supply situation in the affected areas.
