LBA confirms members suicide in Ladakh; says he was admirer of Sonam Wangchuk
Leh (PTI): A general council member of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) has committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence, its president Chering Dorjay Lakruk said on Thursday.
Stenzin Dorjay, a resident of Skitmang village, some 100 km from Leh town, was a big fan of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who was detained under National Security Act and lodged in Jodhpur jail on September 26, Lakruk, also co-chairman of Leh Apex Body (LAB), told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Survived by his wife and two children, Dorjay was found dead by hanging at his house early Wednesday.
His brothers claimed that he was highly depressed after the September 24 violence that left four persons dead and scores of others injured.
"He was a member of our general council and was linked to our movement (in support of statehood and safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution). He was a big fan of Wangchuk, I know it because I saw him with Wangchuk on September 24," Lakruk said.
He said he also wanted to go outside the hunger strike venue but "I stopped him. According to his two brothers, he went into depression as he had not linked the things unfolding and probably committed suicide".
A police official confirmed the death of Dorjay by suicide and said preliminary investigation has suggested that he had taken a lot of alcohol the previous night.
Police have started inquest proceedings to ascertain the cause of his death, he said, adding the post-mortem of the deceased was conducted on Wednesday itself and the body was handed over to his family for last rites.
"We have not found any note or anything else suggesting the reason for his taking such an extreme step," the official said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
