Chandigarh on edge, but no cuts for VIP areas, power staff

Chandigarh, February 23

Various parts of VIP sectors and the housing colony of employees of the Electricity Department in Sector 28 enjoyed uninterrupted power supply when the remaining city was at the receiving end.

Sources said water supply was also better in these particular areas.

Parts of many VIP areas like Sector 5, 7, 9, 16, 24, etc, housing several bureaucrats and senior dignitaries didn’t witness power outages during the blackout. The roads outside the Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator’s official residence were lit, unlike other roads in the city.

“It exposes the system. How come the power supply was selective? It means no matter what the condition is, step-motherly treatment will be meted out to the ordinary class,” rued RK Garg, president of Senior Citizens’ Association. On continuous power supply to certain areas, VK Gupta, spokesperson, All-India Power Engineers’ Federation, said every VIP area had two lines. “If one line trips, the other will automatically start and the power supply will resume. In such a situation, the areas witness uninterrupted power supply,” he added. However, residents of neighbouring sectors alleged that employees of the Electricity Department had deliberately disrupted the power supply in other sectors, whereas their family members enjoyed uninterrupted power in their colony.

“Action should be initiated against those who are involved in this discrimination,” said Radhika Sharma, a college student.

An employee of the Electricity Department claimed that many pockets in Sector 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 16, 21, 24 and 39 also faced power outages for several hours and residents bore the brunt of power cuts like any other resident of the city.