Baramulla, March 22: Scores of people in the Khanpora area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday staged a protest against the installation of smart meters in the area. This is the second such demonstration in the area in a month.
The protesters, including men, women and children, demanded an immediate rollback of the order from the authorities. They disrupted traffic for hours and blocked the Baramulla-Uri highway near Khanpora while chanting slogans against the installation of smart meters.
The protesting women argued that the installation of smart meters would increase expenses for the poor and daily wage earners in the area.
A protesting woman, Shabnam Bano, told Rising Kashmir that most of the families in Khanpora belong to economically weaker sections and can’t afford the hiked tariffs.
“Our men are working in the private sector and only receive hand-to-mouth earnings. We cannot afford tariffs as per smart meters. This will overburden our families and will directly affect the education and livelihood of our children,” she said.
Another woman said her husband earns Rs 5,000 per month and has to pay school fees, drinking water fees and medical expenses from the same amount. “How can we pay the power tariff generated by smart meters,” she said.
The protesters sought “justice for the poor” and demanded an immediate halt to the smart meter installation drive.
AEE PDD Baramulla Yasir Kakroo told the media that the installation of smart meters is a government order and is for the benefit of the people.
He said the department has already completed the installation process in other areas of Baramulla, but a few residents of Khanpora protested against the move.
The officer urged the people to allow the department to install the meters. “Smart meters will not overburden the consumers. The billing will be according to usage and the department will be able to provide the consumers round-the-clock electricity, especially during the upcoming months of Ramadan and winter,” he said.
The installation of smart meters began in December 2020 to prevent electricity thefts. The Jammu & Kashmir government has set a target of installing four lakh smart meters in the union territory by 2023. However, several areas in the valley protested against the installation of smart meters.
Earlier protest demonstrations against the installation of smart meters were held in the Old Town, Khawaja Bagh and Pattan areas of the district. The protest in Khanpora is the latest instance of locals expressing concern over the installation of smart meters, which they perceive as a financial burden.
