Blame game over disruption of power in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept. 16: Blame game has started between the officials of Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Electricity Distribution Company Limited over the issue of unstable power supply that has disrupted supply of arsenic free drinking water in Kaliachak. Drinking water supply from the arsenic free water treatment plant located at Dariapur in Kaliachak-III has been disrupted over a month in its due to electrical problems. When the PHE officials complained about the disruption of power supply, the electricity department officials blamed PHE officials for failing to detect electrical fault in its own system. In last seven days, when the thousands of people have been facing acute drinking water crisis, both the departments have started blame games to avoid their own responsibilities and accountabilities. A few days ago, the additional district magistrate (development) held a meeting but failed to sort out the problem. The executive engineer (PHE) arsenic division, Mr D Banerjee said: “ We have failed to supply water because of electricity department has failed to supply ‘uninterrupted stable power’ in spite of our own ‘dedicated feeder line’ at sub station buildings located at Rajnagar (in take point) on the bank of the Ganga and at Dariapur, the main plant for water treatment and distribution.” “The PHE officials did not inform us officially in its respective assistant engineer in Kaliachak about the fault. We did not have information about the situation. Receiving information from the Press we inspected the feeder line yesterday and found that feeder line was providing adequate uninterrupted power. The PHE officials need to check their the fault in their own system at sub station,” said Mr A Maity, chief circle manager, State Electricity Distribution Company Limited in Malda. “There are so many illegal and unlawful connections from the ‘dedicated’ feeder line in Rajnagar area. The electricity department does not bother to check such power theft that disrupts the process of lifting waters from the river every day especially at night,” said Mr Banerjee. “Even electricity department officials did not bother to attend meeting convened by the administration. The matter was noted in the minutes in last meeting convened by the ADM (D) Mrs Indrani Saha, a few days ago”, said Mr Banerjee “Owing to heavy work schedule departmental official, for the first time, could not attend the meeting. But the PHE officials did not bother to attend our meeting of bulk consumers to point out their problem. Every month we invite our 65 bulk consumers to hear any problem related to power supply but PHE did not attend a single meeting,” said Mr Maity, the chief circle manager. “A joint inspection of both departmental officials is imperative to sort the present problem,” Mr. Maity added.