Srinagar, Mar 21: Chairman of Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and former minister, Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen, on Thursday expressed concern over “complaints from consumers” across various parts of Kashmir regarding “inflated” power bills issued by the power department. He termed the issuance of inflated power bills as a “great injustice” to consumers.
In a statement issued here, Hakeem voiced concern over the “inflated” power bills to consumers, especially in non-metered areas. He urged the government to reconsider its decision to hike electricity tariffs in order to provide relief to affected consumers. Yaseen criticized the power department for failing to provide uninterrupted power supply to consumers, even during the holy month of Ramadan, yet still proceeding with the tariff hike without considering the people’s plight.
“Consumers from both urban and rural areas across the Kashmir Valley have reportedly been complaining about inflated electricity bills, which they are unable to pay due to financial constraints,” the PDF chairman said. He called on the concerned authorities to reconsider the decision to hike electricity tariffs to alleviate the burden on consumers.
Hakeem said the 15 percent hike in power tariffs by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has adversely affected approximately 7 lakh non-metered power consumers in Kashmir alone, out of a total estimated 11 lakh power consumers.
