Jammu, July 26: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Wednesday expressed its resentment against the installation of smart meters, power outages and demanded reduction in power tariffs.
Addressing the media persons at party headquarters here, DPAP vice president GM Saroori said, “Poor have to bear the brunt of anti-people policies. It is very unfortunate that the government is imposing troubles on common people. Prices of essential commodities are touching the skies, power tariffs are breaking the back of the poor. We have several power projects in J&K having the capacity to generate power for other parts of the country. Even we have power projects in Ladakh. The country is getting its power supply from J&K.”
Saroori said that during the establishment of the first phase of the Dulhasti power project, it was promised that people living within a five kilometers radius of the project will get a free power supply. “It was also promised that consumers in J&K would get power units at lower rates than the rest of the country because of having all important power projects in J&K,” he said, adding that besides Kishan Ganga, Chenab Valley hosts all other important power projects.
He said that due to earthquakes, soil erosion and landslides, the people in Chenab Valley have suffered the most. The monthly power bills have gone up from one thousand rupees to ten thousand which has made the lives of poor people miserable, he said.
“The prolonged unscheduled power cuts are causing people to suffer and these cuts last up to eight to ten hours a day. We demand that smart meters should not be installed and the rate of power tariffs should be reduced,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, DPAP General Secretary R S Chib said that floods have wreaked havoc in various areas of Chenab Valley. He said floods have damaged a vital bridge in Samba which is yet to be repaired. He demanded that local people should not be asked for toll tax till the bridge is made functional again as people have to take diversions and cover long distances to reach destinations.
DPAP Chief Spokesperson Salman Nizami said the Congress party stands exposed on Article 370 as its Member of Parliament and spokesperson Advocate Abhishek Singhvi sought to defer the hearing of petitions in the Supreme Court on August 2. He accused the Congress of betraying the people of Jammu and Kashmir by seeking postponement of the Article 370 hearing on the pretext of the Delhi ordinance. “At the time when the Supreme Court had scheduled the case to hear the voice of people of J&K Congress MP tried to sabotage it,” he said.
