Baramulla: Scores of people in the Pattan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday staged a protest against the installation of smart meters in the area.
The protesters, comprising men, women, and children, demanded an immediate rollback of the order from the authorities.
The agitated locals blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near receiving Station Pattan, which disrupted traffic for hours.
Chanting slogans against the installation of smart meters, the protesting women said it would increase expenses for the poor and daily wage earners.
“Most of the families belong to economically weaker sections and can’t afford hiked tariffs,” Fatima Bano, a protester, told Rising Kashmir. “Our men are working in the private sector and only receive hand-to-mouth earnings. We cannot afford tariffs as per smart meters which will overburden our families and will directly affect the education and livelihood of our children,” she added.
The protesters sought “justice” for the poor and demanded an immediate halt to the smart meter installation drive in Pattan.
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 Kashmir Valley have previously protested against the installation of smart meters.
Earlier, protest demonstrations against the installation of smart meters were also held in the old town and Khawaja Bagh areas of Baramulla. The protest in Pattan is the latest instance of locals expressing concern over the installation of smart meters, which they perceive as a financial burden.
