SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Apni Party on Monday held separate protests in Srinagar against the 6.83 per cent hike in electricity tariffs in Jammu and Kashmir, which is set to come into effect from September 1.
PDP leaders and workers assembled outside the party office near the General Post Office and raised slogans against the tariff increase ordered by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) last week.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and workers staged a protest at the party headquarters against the hike in electricity tariffs. The protesters attempted to march towards the city centre but were stopped by police from proceeding further. The demonstrators raised slogans against the Omar Abdullah-led government, holding it responsible for the tariff hike and demanding its immediate rollback.
PDP leader Asiya Naqash, said the electricity tariff hike was a public issue and should not be viewed through a political lens.
“Electricity tariff have gone up. This is a public issue. This is not a political issue,” Naqash told reporters at the PDP headquarters here.
She said people were already facing economic hardships due to unemployment and poverty and questioned the decision to increase power tariffs despite expectations of relief for consumers.
“People were waiting for free 200 units of free electricity. Despite this, you are increasing the tariff by 6.8 per cent. Tell me, if this is not cruelty, then what is it? If this is not injustice, then what is it?” she said.
Naqash said households were already struggling with unemployment, poverty and rising power bills.
“People are suffering because of unemployment, because of poverty and because of power bills. The government knows this. Despite this, you are putting so much pressure on the people, our youth and their families,” she said.
Leaders and workers of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party also staged a protest in Srinagar against the electricity tariff hike.
Apni Party leader Ashraf Mir said the government had made several promises to people during the elections, including providing 200 units of free electricity and taking steps regarding smart meters.
“..You saw the participation in the election. The majority vote came to a party and there were promises made during the election,” Mir said.
He said the government had now increased the power tariff by 6.83 per cent, adding that consumers would also have to bear applicable taxes.
“They promised to give 200 units free. They have now increased the power tariff by 6.83 per cent. Taxes will also come into it. GST will also come into it,” Mir said.
He claimed the hike would further burden households, particularly middle-class and low-income families.
“I think that a household will have to pay at least Rs 300-400 more. We are so poor here. Our people are suffering right now,” he said.
Mir accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s government of failing to live up to its electoral commitments and questioned why people were being burdened with higher electricity costs.
He added that several states provide free electricity up to a certain limit and questioned why similar relief was not being provided to consumers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Ruling National Conference (NC) state spokesperson Imran Dar defended the hike asserting that Jammu and Kashmir continues to have the lowest power tariffs across all categories among the northern states, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.
He said no other state in comparison has lower average energy charges than J&K, asserting that the recently announced power tariff hike by the JERC should be viewed in this context.
Dar said the latest tariff increase was neither the first nor would it be the last, while maintaining that the hike was comparatively lower than those announced in previous years.
