KTA demands immediate amnesty for commercial power consumers

Srinagar, July 29: The Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) has demanded that the Jammu and Kashmir government should immediately announce an amnesty scheme for commercial electricity consumers, stating that the government had earlier assured that such a step would be taken.In a statement issued here, KTA stated that despite repeated representations and follow-ups, the administration has so far not announced any amnesty for the commercial category, even though the domestic power amnesty scheme has been extended.“This issue has been raised by us several times with the concerned authorities, and on multiple occasions, we were assured that a commercial power amnesty would be announced. However, to date, no such relief has been provided,” KTA President Aijaz Shahdhar said in a statement.He said the business community is under pressure due to accumulated electricity dues and continues to wait for the promised relief. “While the domestic amnesty has been extended, commercial consumers have been left out. On the same lines, we demand an amnesty scheme for commercial power consumers,” Shahdhar added.KTA said the delay in announcing the commercial amnesty is unjustified and is adding to the financial burden of traders and business establishments. The organisation urged the government to act without further delay and fulfil its earlier commitment.