Sakina Itoo seeks relief for power consumers

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference State Secretary leader and Former minister Sakina Itoo on Tuesday sought major relief for the electricity consumers to help businesses and people tide over the COVID-19 crises.
While drawing the attention of the administration towards the inability of the consumers to pay hefty electricity bills, Sakina said that that all the economic activities including tourism, transport, businesses, agriculture and horticulture have come to a grinding halt in wake of the subsequent clamp down and lock downs since August last year.
She said that people especially the salaried class and daily wagers find themselves in dire straits completely unable to pay hefty electricity bills. The situation of people engaged with small and medium businesses, she said is no different and that the poor lot is reeling under huge debts. “State governments across the country are taking sleuth of measures to provide succor to the people to tide over the major slump down, the economy is facing now. The continuous absence of any vital business activity has plunged people into destitution and poverty who are now unable to make both ends meet, not to talk about paying hefty bills. Local administration should have taken a clue from the other state government and worked out a mega relief package for commercial as well as non commercial electricity consumers but nothing of that sort is being done here,” she said.
The rural economy she said has suffered major reverses on one account or other since the 5th of august last year. She said weather vagaries and the successive clampdown and lockdowns have played havoc with the rural economy and the problems of the people have compounded on account of the government apathy and indifference. “The agriculturalists have no money to spend on the procurement of necessary seeds, and other merchandise required for the farming purpose for the coming Kharif period and ensuing Rabi period. The recompense given to the farmers by the government was less as compared to the losses incurred by them,” she said.
She maintained that in order to get the economy back on track, it was imperative for the government to give a helping hand to artisans, farmers, and people associated with rural and cottage industries.