So much so that P K Lahri, principal secretary to the chief minister, `enjoyed' his three-day vacation to the hill resort in total darkness.

He was so cut up with the erratic power supply that he reportedly called up member secretary of the Gujarat Electricity Board S K Nanda and expressed displeasure over the mismanagement by the Gujarat Electricity Board officials. He is also reported to have told the secretary that unless the Gujarat Electricity Board does not act swiftly, all plans to convert Saputara into a major tourist attraction would go haywire.

It may be noted that the State government has for long been stating that a 66 KW sub-station would be set up in the Dangs. But unfortunately nothing seems to have been done in this regard.

In addition, the district development officer and MLA Madhu Bhoye have received a number of complaints in the past few months where villagers have been handed out heavy electricity bills. There have even been instances where villagers who don't have electric connections were also given the bills.

The perennial issue at every district co-ordination and complaints committee held in Ahwa every month has been the shortage and irregularity in power supply.

General secretary of the Dangs Hotel Owners' Association Navin Patel, while expressing anger at the frequent power failures in the district, suggested that hotels be provided with generators until the government was able to provide uninterrupted power supply. He added that unless the electricity issue was not resolved, plans of developing Saputara into a hill station would not materialise.