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Come
March - April and every student finds himself invariably
studying for the promotional exams. However their efforts
seem to be always thwarted by the Karnataka Power Transmission
Corporation limited, which seems to enjoy seeing the students
study under the moonlight or candlelight as the case may
be. These heartless people seem to suddenly experience a
sudden shortage of power in the months of March and April,
and thus resort to unscheduled power cuts. This has been
a regular feature since so many years when I was a kid and
studying for my exams. Although the students in the city
do not face that much of a problem because the city-bred
are shown a concession and the power is switched off for
only about 45 minutes between 7 and 10 pm, it is the students
in the rural areas who face the brunt of these power cuts.
Sunday last and Monday witnessed blackouts in and around
Mangalore, because of integration of the power from the
barge mounted Thannirbavi project into the grid, and students
studying for their annual exams, some of which are going
on were left to fend for themselves in the heat of summer
and the darkness. It is said that the strain on the eyes
of studying in candle light or dim light makes a person
lose concentration often and may also make his eye sight
week. Most of the kids complain of headaches and eyestrain
because of studying in dim light. In addition sometimes
the power shutdowns take place so many times in the evenings
that when the lights finally come on and stay for a while,
it is past midnight and the children are fast asleep. Maybe
KPTCL wants the students to desist from burning the midnight
oil!
These
unscheduled power cuts sometimes make the people ask themselves
has the corporatisation of KPTCL brought about any changes
in its working? Or is the KPTCL trying to promote the sales
of Inverters and generators? Is there an Unholy nexus between
the manufacturers of these products and the KPTCL? Or is
it that KPTCL wants to project an artificial scarcity of
power so as to promote companies like Cogentrix and Thannirbavi
Power company, as it would bring some moolah into the hands
of the people at high places in the form of kickbacks? Well
it is high time something is done to stop KPTCL from playing
with the future of children and youngsters. KPTCL do u have
an answer?
Sunil
Gonsalves.
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