Baramulla, Oct 01: Scores of residents of the old town Baramulla on Saturday staged a protest against the installation of smart electric meters in the locality.
The residents, including men, women and children assembled at the cement bridge Baramulla and protested against the authorities.
They were sloganeering against the installation of smart meters in the area.
The protestors blocked the road that connects the main town with Rafiabad villages and halted the vehicular movement in the area leaving commuters to inconvenience.
The protesting women said that the maximum number of people in the locality are casual labourers and can’t pay the huge electricity tariff bills.
“Our financial condition isn’t that good to pay the current bills. Authorities must understand how we can pay huge bills following the installation of smart meters in our area. A person with meagre income can’t pay a bill of 4000-5000 per month,” a protesting woman said.
The protesters said that at times they are not getting the power supply for days together and still the department is delivering the tariff bills, and they are paying the same.
Another protesting woman said that they won’t allow authorities to install these meters at any cost that will make their conditions much worse.
“We don’t have issues with the current system of installed meters and we are paying the bills despite power outages. If forced by the authorities, then we don’t have any option but to come on roads and protest,” another woman protestor said.
The protesting residents have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to revisit the decision of installation of smart meters in the old Town area of Baramulla.
They also urged the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr. Sehrish Asgar to visit the area and check the financial status of people living in the area.
The process of installing smart meters in Baramulla town began a year ago to control electricity thefts.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has set the target of installing four lakh smart meters in union territory by 2023.
