Srinagar, May 23: The Power Development Department (PDD) Kashmir has left its consumers aghast in a state of neglect and frustration, as its consumer care centre has been defunct for several weeks, forcing countless customers to fend for themselves without any support or resolution to their pressing electricity issues.
Inaugurated with much fanfare on December 6, 2020, by Lieutenant Governor J&K Manoj Sinha in presence of then advisor to LG Baseer Ahmad Khan, then Chief Secretary J&K B V R Subramanyam, the call centre was meant to handle grievances related to unscheduled power cuts, sudden transformer damages, and other electricity-related issues.
As per the details available , initially staffed by five customer care agents, the centre quickly became overwhelmed as the volume of complaints surged. Despite the increasing number of calls, the PDD failed to increase its manpower, leading to an alarming rate of abandoned calls.
The data available paints a grim picture of the call centre’s performance. In October 2023, out of 7991 calls, 5602 were abandoned, leaving only 2389 calls answered. November saw a similar trend, with 3339 out of 4754 calls abandoned. December was no better, with 4713 out of 5994 calls unanswered. January recorded the highest abandonment, with 7541 out of 10036 calls going unanswered. February continued the dismal trend, with 3278 out of 4063 calls abandoned.
For the months of March, April, and May (to date), this reporter couldn’t obtain the exact figures. However, the data for these months indicates a similar trend, with more calls abandoned than received. In May, no calls were answered.
The details further reveal that the call centre operates through five toll-free numbers (6006613056, 6006613057, 6006613058, 6006613059, 6006613060), which have been unresponsive for several weeks, leaving customers without any recourse for their electricity-related complaints, causing widespread frustration and helplessness.
One distressed customer told Rising Kashmir that since the installation of smart meters, they have faced multiple issues. “We used to rely on the call centre’s toll-free numbers for resolution, but now those numbers are out of service. It’s as if the PDD has abandoned us.”
Another local resident, while highlighting the difficulties with billing issues, said that they used to call the centre for guidance on resolving their problems. “Now, with the call centre defunct, we are left in the dark, literally and figuratively”, he added.
He said that the PDD’s failure to maintain its consumer care centre is a glaring oversight and a blatant disregard for the needs of its consumers.
The department’s inability to manage its resources and ensure adequate support for its customers is nothing short of shameful, he said.
“PDD should take responsibility, restore the call centre’s operations, and provide the necessary support that we deserve”, he added.
Meanwhile, despite attempts to reach the Principal Secretary, Power Development Department via phone calls and text messages and MD KPDCL through calls, they were not available for comments.
