Three major problems haunt Manipur Government. Of the three, power simply turns out to be the greatest problem for there is no immediate solution. The other two will be easy to tackle if the Government has will power. Roads can be constructed and existing ones can be improved by spending some money. Similarly a state like, Manipur which is water rich will not face handicap in making plans to provide drinking water to all citizens of the state. Why we say power is the greatest problem is that since the commissioning of Loktak Hydro Electric project way back in late seventies there had not been addition of a single unit to the power sector. But dependence on electricity had increased manifold. Modern lifestyle demands more electricity. It is said, Power Department spends more money than it actually earns. This reveals one stark reality; everyone without any exception wants to enjoy blissful life without returning what it owes to the giver. Even the God will be hesitant to grant boons if the receiver do not reciprocate by way of offering pujah to the God. Moreover a Government is different from the supreme God. Inculcate the habit of paying tax for the electricity used. Similarly those who receive drinking water supplied by PHED through tap should also pay tax. One wonders, who pays tax for water in Manipur. In our Leikai only one or two families pay tax for water. If you think the size of pipe running in your Leikai is too small, it is time one begins self introspection, the number of legal consumers in your Leikai might be too small. The Government might be having in its record only two or three families as legal consumers the rest are illegal consumers. The size of the pipe is inter-related with the number of legal consumers. For 100 legal consumers, who pay tax regularly the water pipe running in a Leikai has to be of one feet diameter. Therefore to get better water supply and uninterrupted power supply let us start clearing the bill in time. Like other consumable items that we buy from the market electricity is also bought from the neighbouring states. It is sold and available abundantly. But our problem is we do not have money for buying it. The addition of prepaid system at the business centres is doing a good job in saving energy. Consumers for fear of losing more money on power has started switching off unnecessarily installed bulbs. A good culture. Good things have been done at the areas where the facility is available. But one wonders why the system is not extended at Babupapra where Ministers and MLAs are settling. They are the ones using more electricity than required. Too many rooms without any visitors or officials keep bulbs alighted and fans wheeling. If prepaid facility replaces VIP lines the big shots too will start giving instructions to the subordinate staff to switch off unnecessarily installed bulbs. They may even ask the staff to pluck out those power consuming bulbs and fans. That will mark on set of change for the betterment of the state. All good things should start from the top like the Holy Ganga running down from the Himalaya. Power Department should first concentrate on it rather than punishing poor consumers. That will mean all moving in the same direction.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/for-a-change-that-is-better/
