Pulwama, Sept 23: Unit holders at the Industrial Estate (IE) Chatapora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district are calling for a dedicated electricity line to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
The unit holders said that IE Chatapora, established around 1984, is among the oldest industrial estates in the region, housing 26 functional units that provide employment to around 4,000 people.
Despite its significance, unit holders complain of frequent power outages that according to them disrupt production and lead to financial losses.
Abdur Rahim Sofi, a representative of the unit holders, highlighted their ongoing struggle with inconsistent electricity supply.
“Electricity is a prerequisite for any industrial activity. However, our estate is connected to a local feeder, and frequent outages not only hamper production but also waste valuable labour hours,” he said.
Sofi further added that other recently developed industrial estates in South Kashmir are provided with 24-hour power, yet IE Chatapora has been left out for reasons unknown.
He said that the outages have been a longstanding issue, affecting the timely delivery of products and hindering the smooth functioning of the estate’s operations.
“We have been knocking on every door for a solution, but our genuine demands have been overlooked,” Sofi added, accusing the Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (SICOP) of ignoring their needs.
He urged the higher authorities to intervene and provide a dedicated electricity line, ensuring consistent power for the estate’s units.
When approached for a response, Mohammad Maqbool Naiko, Executive Engineer of the KPDCL (PDD) Pulwama, said that no formal demand for a dedicated line had been raised during his tenure in the past year. “Once a request is submitted, we will look into it,” he said.
Inder Jeet, Managing Director, J & K SICOP, said that he needed to check the records to find the details of the issue.
