Transformer inaugurated twice — once by BJP, later by AAP

A newly installed electricity transformer in the Dinanagar assembly constituency was inaugurated twice, once by the BJP and later by the ruling AAP, making the protagonists of the incident a laughing stock among residents.

Irked over the perennial problem of voltage fluctuation, residents of Chaunta village, 20 km from Gurdaspur, approached the Dinanagar AAP Halqa in-charge Shamsher Singh.

A candidate belonging to the ruling party, who has lost the last assembly poll, is designated as the Halqa in-charge (area chief). Consequently, he is given unbridled powers by the state government.

When villagers apprised Shamsher of their problem, they were shocked by his “obstinacy and politically incorrect attitude”. He was not willing to help them and claimed that “since the entire village had voted against him in the 2022 elections, they would not get the transformer.”

The villagers lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) requesting him to intervene. In their petition, they also mentioned that they had approached the Halqa in-charge but he was not willing to support them in any manner.

A few days ago, PSPCL officials installed the electrical device in the village. Renu Kashyap, a local BJP leader, reached the village and inaugurated it.

Later, a livid Shamsher too reached the village and virtually ordered the power officials not to make the contraption operational. The officials were already in fear of him because he had recently got a PSPCL employee transferred. It is another matter that the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed his transfer.

The transformer remained uninstalled and the villagers could not derive any benefit from it. Their electrical appliances continued to get damaged because of power fluctuations.

It was a double-whammy for the Halqa in-charge. He was infuriated not only because “people who had voted against him had got the transformer, but also because a local BJP leader got all the publicity.”

Villagers were the ultimate losers as the leaders continued to play out the game of political chicanery.

Sensing that the BJP would get a good chunk of votes from the village, Shamsher changed tactics and yesterday reached the village to inaugurate the transformer yet again. This time it was also made operational.

The incident has become a hot topic of discussion among residents. The consensus among them is that ensuring public utility services like installation of transformers is the fundamental duty of the state government and politicians’ attempt to take credit by politicians is unethical.

Amritsar