"People living in rural and far flung areas are without electricity and the recent snowfall has aggravated the crisis. Even areas receiving erratic power supply are for the most of the time facing numerous problems on account of low voltage and the people are compelled to arrange alternative sources of illumination during the hours, they receive electricity," party state secretary M Y Tarigami said in a statement here.
He said Power Development Department (PDD) has failed to create a buffer stock of electricity transformers at divisional level to address the situation surfaced due to damaged transformers.
The step-down transformers, installed in every neighbourhood develop technical snags and the consumers are left helpless in darkness and freezing cold till the process of lifting, repairing and re-installing a faulty transformer is completed in weeks together, Tarigami claimed.
"Even the people in many parts of Kashmir Valley have complained that they are compelled to collect money for repair of their damaged transformers as the department concerned fails to repair and install their transformers in time," the CPI(M) leader said.
He blamed the faulty polices of PDD for the damages of electricity transformers.
Referring to media reports, the CPI(M) leader said there are more than 400 damaged electric transformers lying in various workshops for repairs in Kashmir Valley.
According to these reports, Tarigami said throughout the Valley, more than 150 villages are without power since the recent snowfall on January 17.