SB-Sujon :
Lalmonirhat Northern Electricity Supply Company, NESCO’s negligence left 250 businesses and bank-insurance offices in Bata More, Janata More, Shapla More and Station Road areas without power for about 72 hours. Traders have suffered greatly in the scorching heat and have faced losses worth lakhs of taka. NESCO has been accused of extreme irresponsibility for not getting a solution despite repeated complaints.
From 8 pm on Monday (June 16) to noon on Thursday (June 18), the commercial heart of the city was in darkness for about 72 hours, leaving 250 businesses and banks and insurance companies without normal power supply.
Local traders said that a transformer suddenly broke down around 8 pm on Monday (June 16). As a result, power supply to about 250 shops, shopping malls, drug stores, restaurants and bank-insurance offices from Bata More, Janata More, Shapla More to Station Road was completely cut off.
Although complaints were immediately made to the NESCO office, power supply did not return to normal until Thursday afternoon after 72 hours. Although a few banks and big shops were kept open with RPS and generators, the owners were forced to keep the shutters of most business establishments closed.
Mokchedur Rahman, president of the Goshala Bazar Combined Businessmen’s Association, said, “All the goods in the refrigerator are getting spoiled in the extreme heat. There is no water for ablution in the mosque. Computer shops, photocopies, and studios are completely closed. We have faced a loss of crores of taka in a single day. Without uninterrupted power, business is at a standstill. The whole problem is NESCO’s negligence.”
He also said that the economic activities of the entire Lalmonirhat have come to a standstill due to the closure of businesses at these four busiest intersections in the city. As bank-insurance transactions are closed, ordinary customers have also suffered.
Business leaders have warned that if power connection is not restored quickly and action is not taken against irresponsible NESCO officials, they will go on a larger movement. The victims have sought urgent intervention from the district administration.
In this regard, Mahmudur Rahman, Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat NESCO, said, the transformer has burnt due to excessive load. A new transformer will have to be installed. But the required space is not available for installing the transformer. No one is willing to provide space. This is the main complication.
He also said that skilled manpower has already been brought from Rangpur to install the transformer. The work will start as soon as the space is available. If the space is available, the power supply can be normalized within 5 to 6 hours.
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