 "Frequent power cuts still a trouble for Rajasthan govt amid scorching heat")
Amid the scorching heat, with temperatures soaring between 47 and 50 degrees Celsius, irregular electricity supply has added fuel to the fire, aggravating problems for people, farmers, and the industrial sector.
While the state’s Bhajan Lal Sharma-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government claims to be improving the power supply, the opposition is trying to corner the government on the issue. Amid all this, undeclared power cuts are continuing in districts including the capital, that are already facing power cuts.
A shortfall of around 50 million units daily remains despite the state government’s efforts to buy electricity, sources in the energy department said.
Amid the state government’s assurances and claims, people are yet to get relief from the sweltering heat.
Complaints of grid sub-station failures and power outages are continuously increasing in many districts. Despite daily monitoring by power company officials, and all district collectors, there has been minimal improvement in the supply.
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An energy department official said that due to the difference between demand and supply, power cuts are continuing.
“We are trying to overcome the crisis and provide uninterrupted supply by purchasing electricity from external sources,” the official said.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said the state government has signed memorandums of understanding worth ~1.6 trillion to strengthen the power systems. Also, given the increasing demand, power generation is being increased by starting the Dholpur and Ramgarh thermal power and gas plants. Besides, the process of continuous power purchase is on.
“We assure the public that there will be no shortage of electricity and water in the coming days,” he added.
After Sharma reprimanded energy department officials over continuous complaints about electricity shortage, senior officials of the department are on alert and are constantly looking into the complaints.
Additional chief secretary energy, Alok, has directed the officials to immediately resolve complaints at the circle-level and set up a control room.
Officials have been instructed to get verification from the consumer after resolving their complaints. If the complaints remain unresolved, strict action will be taken against the officers and employees. After the control room was established, more than 75,000 complaints were registered in Jaipur, Ajmer, and the Jodhpur Discom between 19 and 23 May. Officials claim that these complaints have been fully resolved.