Chandigarh- When the public needs electricity and water the most in the scorching heat, the people of Chandigarh are deprived of both these basic facilities. On 1st February 2025, despite strong opposition from opposition parties and the public, the Chandigarh Administration followed the instructions of the Central Government and transferred the ever-profitable electricity department to a private company. Surprisingly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Chandigarh did not oppose this decision.
The private company CDPL, whose technical staff, from junior engineer to director, is dependent on retired employees from various states, has also not been able to free the people of Chandigarh from the power crisis. Unannounced power cuts, low voltage, and voltage fluctuations have troubled every citizen. Especially the sufferings of sick persons, elderly and children have increased further. Sometimes long power cuts in the afternoon, sometimes darkness at night - the public is neither able to sleep peacefully nor feel relief in this scorching heat.
In a recent meeting with the Chief Secretary, the company claimed that it has upgraded the infrastructure, but the work of replacing old transformers has not started yet. This is clearly a fraud with the public. The Chief Secretary should immediately take action against this company and cancel its MoU.
Along with the power crisis, the residents of Chandigarh are also gripped by the problem of lack of water supply and contaminated water. People in many sectors and Manimajra area are troubled by contaminated water supply. How long will the Chandigarh Administration remain silent in this dire situation? In such circumstances, there is a danger of an epidemic spreading in the city at any time.
The people of Chandigarh are troubled by these problems, but the Mayor of the city is resting peacefully. Neither does she have the time to solve these serious problems of electricity and water nor does she have the desire to speak on this subject. It is rightly said, "When Rome was burning, Nero was playing the flute."