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Power Grid Failure Sparks Rising Unrest in Pok

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, December 17th 2025 at 7:06 GMT by moneycontrol.com

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Unrest in Pok: From Sporadic Outbreaks to a Persistent Pattern of Protest

The growing wave of protests in the city of Pok has long been a source of concern for political analysts, civil‑society leaders, and the national government alike. What was once a series of isolated incidents has, over the past decade, evolved into a regular rhythm of public dissent. According to a recent Moneycontrol feature, the root causes of this shift are threefold: chronic power cuts, deep‑seated economic distress, and persistent political neglect. This article distills the key points from that feature—alongside the supplementary reports it cites—to paint a comprehensive picture of why Pok’s unrest is no longer sporadic but a looming pattern.

1. The Power Crisis: An Invisible Sabotage

At the heart of the unrest lies Pok’s power crisis. For months, residents have experienced frequent blackouts that cut off electricity for hours, sometimes even days. The Moneycontrol piece highlights a 2023 study by the National Energy Board (NEB) that traced 68% of these outages to the aging grid infrastructure that has gone unmodernised since the 1990s. An NEB spokesperson, quoted in the article, admitted that “maintenance budgets have been slashed for the last three fiscal years, leading to a failure to replace critical transformers and lines.”

The human cost of these power cuts is palpable. Small businesses are forced to shut down or operate at reduced capacity; schools struggle to provide a conducive learning environment; even the local hospital has faced shortages of electricity that affect life‑support equipment. A linked interview with a local shopkeeper in the Moneycontrol article underscored how a single day of uninterrupted power could have saved a family from losing their perishable goods and, by extension, a substantial portion of their livelihood.

2. Economic Distress: The Daily Struggle

Beyond the grid, Pok is grappling with a broader economic malaise. Inflation in the region has risen to a 12‑month high of 18.7%, a figure the Moneycontrol article compares to a 2021 spike of 12.5% that prompted the first major rally. The feature cites the International Monetary Fund’s latest regional assessment, which points to a shrinking industrial output and a rising unemployment rate of 9.8%, a sharp climb from 6.2% a year earlier.

The article quotes a survey by the local Economic Development Institute (EDI), which found that 62% of respondents felt their purchasing power had declined in the last six months. In particular, the textile and small‑scale manufacturing sectors—once the lifeblood of Pok’s economy—have suffered from supply chain bottlenecks, exacerbated by the ongoing national tariff hikes on raw materials. The Moneycontrol piece also references a related editorial in the Daily Chronicle that called for a “comprehensive review of industrial subsidies” to revive the sector.

3. Political Neglect: A Systemic Overlook

Political neglect, according to the Moneycontrol feature, is the third critical pillar sustaining Pok’s unrest. Historically, Pok has been a battleground of regional parties, with national coalitions often bypassing local concerns in favour of larger strategic priorities. The article cites a 2019 report by the Political Accountability Watchdog (PAW) that found Pok received only 2.3% of the provincial budget, well below the 5% allocation it is entitled to based on population.

One of the most striking anecdotes in the feature comes from the recent “People’s March” of September 2023, in which over 20,000 demonstrators converged on the provincial assembly to demand better infrastructure and a clearer development roadmap. The assembly’s response—an impromptu meeting that produced no concrete measures—was described by the Moneycontrol article as “political tokenism” by the provincial governor, a view echoed by the local press.

In addition, the Moneycontrol piece references an interview with a former Pok mayor, who argues that the political elite in the city have “been content to play the blame game, rather than delivering solutions.” This sentiment has only intensified after the recent failure of the ‘Power and Employment Initiative’ announced by the central government, which many locals see as a mere façade.

4. The Pattern of Protest: From Episodic to Systemic

The Moneycontrol article’s central thesis is that these three factors—power cuts, economic distress, and political neglect—are not isolated incidents but interlinked systemic issues that have turned sporadic protest into a chronic phenomenon. A timeline in the feature shows that major demonstrations have occurred in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023, each triggered by a different trigger but sharing common grievances.

An important point made by the Moneycontrol piece is that the protests are not only reactive; they are also increasingly coordinated. The article cites a 2024 analysis by the Civic Action Forum (CAF), which found that protest groups in Pok are leveraging social media to organize and amplify their messages, thereby sustaining a constant undercurrent of dissent. This coordination has made the protests more resilient and less susceptible to government suppression.

5. The Way Forward

In conclusion, the Moneycontrol feature argues that without a comprehensive, multi‑pronged approach—modernising the power grid, stimulating economic growth, and ensuring political accountability—Pok will continue to experience a cycle of unrest. The article calls for a “tri‑sector partnership” involving the government, local businesses, and civil society to design a roadmap for sustainable development.

The article also urges readers to monitor upcoming policy announcements from the central and provincial governments, particularly any proposals that directly address the identified problems. It warns that, as history shows, neglecting the underlying causes will likely lead to further escalation—turning sporadic protests into a larger civil‑disorder movement that could destabilise the region.

Key Takeaways

• Chronic power cuts—stemming from outdated infrastructure—are a daily hardship for Pok residents.
• Economic distress is evident in soaring inflation, a shrinking industrial base, and rising unemployment.
• Political neglect, reflected in low budgetary allocation and tokenistic governance, fuels public frustration.
• The pattern of protests has shifted from sporadic outbursts to a persistent, organized movement.
• A holistic strategy is required to break the cycle of unrest and create lasting stability.

This Moneycontrol analysis underscores that Pok’s unrest is not an isolated phenomenon but a symptom of broader systemic failures. The next few months will be critical in determining whether the government can pivot from crisis management to long‑term solutions—or whether the cycle of protest will continue to define Pok’s political landscape.