KESCo claims prove to be pack of lies

TALL CLAIMS made by KESCo for improving power supply in the city for its 4.25 lakh consumers proved a pack of lies. For the entire 2005, the city reeled under acute power crisis and even violent demonstrations by enraged masses could not improve the dismal power scenario in the city.

Be it the festival of lights Diwali, Eid or Christmas, Kanpurites could get no respite from the power crisis. The pathetic scenario could be gauged by the fact that even the court order to regularise rostering in the city proved futile. The prestigious Rs 93 crore APDRP project undertaken to improve power distribution system in the city failed to take off.

It was expected that in the year 2005 there would be some improvement in the power distribution system in the city but due to mismanagement by KESCo and indifferent attitude of the State government, the city was relegated to the dark ages because of power cuts ranging from 14 to 18 hours.

During the entire 2005 it was only on September 17, the day Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav presided over a review meeting of the Kanpur division, the city was exempted from power cuts.

Power crisis crossed all limits in January, February, April, from May to October and during the last month of the year. But official records of KESCo present an altogether different picture.

As per the record, in January the city received power supply for 16.27 hours.

But in reality barely six to seven hours of supply was given to the city. Another glaring example of fudged figures presented by KESCo is the 19.35 hours of power supply in February, in March 20.08 hours, in April 20.03 hours, in May 19.03 hours, in June 19.02 hours, in July 16.40 hours, in August 15.25 hours, in September 16.4 hours and in October 20.06 hours.

The power crisis became so grim on four occasions in the city that even the industrial feeder was subjected to night rostering but then also residential areas in the city were not given power supply. 

Anti-KESCo demonstrations took centre stage in July, August and September with every political party and social organisation taking to streets to vent their anger against KESCo.

However, the BJP outscored the Congress in staging anti-KESCo demonstrations. Violent demonstrations at the KESCo headquarters, gherao of the KESCo MD by the Mahila Morcha of the party, an indefinite dharna in front of Kesa House by the former MP Shyam Behari Mishra, it was BJP all the way.

Even the Congress MP and Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal shared the platform with the BJP leader in accusing the State government and KESCo for the deplorable power situation in the city.

However, KESCo the excuse that the rostering was from the grid.  But the power distribution system of KESCo lying in a shambles was also responsible to a larger extent for power crisis.   

Transformers are considered to be the lifeline of the city but during the year more than 900 transformers conked out, aggravating power crisis in the city. In the peak summer months of June and July, 378 transformers conked out while from September till date more than 200 transformers conked out. More than 65 cases of burning of cable boxes, 225 cable faults and 11 breaker faults were also reported during the year. Apart from this, cable wires were snapped at more than 1100 places. This is the state of affairs of KESCo when the company is supplying power for a few hours only.

However, in terms of revenue realisation, 2005 was better than 2004. During the year, revenue was realised at an average rate of Rs 1.69 as compared to Rs 1.52 last year, resulting in 70 per cent realisation of the target. The Rs 93 crore APDRP project remained a non-starter and even less than 30 per cent of the amount could not be spent by the KESCo management.     

The year also witnessed tussle between KESCo employees and the management over installation of meters on the premises of the former.