Increasing power woes don’t head to any dead end in Kashmir as the announcement of 8-12% hike in power tariff rates amid disconnections for delays in payment of tariff bills have doubled the troubles of power consumers particular and more so of lower middle classes in Kashmir valley. The unprecedented hike in power tariff rates could have been deferred atleast by one year in view of the joblessness triggered by back to two covid lockdowns in last three years of pandemic. Moreover the hike should not have been 8-12% keeping in view the unprecedented rise in unemployment in Jammu & Kashmir reported in a couple of survey reports recently and instead a power tariff hike of 2-5% would have been affordable for the power consumers in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division. What matters the most is the increasing power curtailments in both metered and non metered areas of Srinagar the summer capital and other parts of Kashmir valley including towns and villages. The KPDCL claims about the power supply in both metered and non metered areas of towns and villages of Kashmir valley have also come into question as allegations are galore that power supply is reduced to few hours in most of the towns and villages across Kashmir. While according to the current power curtailment schedule the weekly power cuts of 31-56 hours are being enforced in valley almost one and half month before the commencement of 40 day long harshest period of winter called “ Chilla-i- Kalan”, more changes in the current power curtailment schedule for more longer power cuts in valley after the commencement of “ Chilla-i-Kalan” can’t be ruled out.
Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDC) claiming that the charges for the power supply even after the hike of 8-12% hike in power tariff are far far lower in Kashmir than other states and union territories of the country won’t find any takers in Jammu & Kashmir as the reduced reducing intensity employment and income generation does not make Jammu & Kashmir a fit case for 8-12% hike in power tariff. Never forget that while Governments in most of the states and union territories of the country have announced free power supply of 10 units to their consumers , the power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir amid reducing intensity of employment and income generation are not getting even a single unit of power free.
Power cuts of 8 hours in non metered areas and 4 hours in metered areas on daily basis amid announcement of 8-12% hike in power tariff rates shows the increasing gapes between the affordability of power consumers to pay the monthly tariff bills and the power availability ahead of the harshest period of winter this year. Kashmir Power Development Corporation Ltd (KPDC) claiming that the charges for the power supply even after the hike of 8-12% hike in power tariff are far far lower in Kashmir than other states and union territories of the country won’t find any takers in Jammu & Kashmir as the reduced reducing intensity employment and income generation does not make Jammu & Kashmir a fit case for 8-12% hike in power tariff. Never forget that while Governments in most of the states and union territories of the country have announced free power supply of 10 units to their consumers, the power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir amid reducing intensity of employment and income generation are not getting even a single unit of power free.
