“After hike of 17% in 2022 and 15% in power tariff the power tariff won’t be finally hiked this year and this is surely the biggest relief to power consumers in last three years in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Announcement of no power hike in the financial year 2024-25 is the biggest relief to power consumers in this year’s Jammu & Kashmir budget presented in the parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. After hike of 17% in 2022 and 15% in power tariff the power tariff won’t be finally hiked this year and this is surely the biggest relief to power consumers in last three years in Jammu & Kashmir. So with this announcement the trend of power hikes witnessed during last few years has at last went on a suspension mode. The announcement shows the Central Government’s commitment to reduce the burden of increasing power costs on both the commercial and as well as the domestic power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir. This decision won’t only reduce the burden on the common consumer but would also bring a huge respite to commercial consumers particularly the hoteliers amid rising tourist footfall for the third straight year in Kashmir Valley. Since hassle free power supply is a much bigger convenience than the relief in power tariff bills to power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir, the improvement in the hydro power infrastructural facilities deserves and demands a much bigger attention and intervention of the Central Government particularly the Ministries Of Power and Renewable Energy. While the improvement of hydro power generated and expansion of the hydro power infrastructural facilities would ease the power distribution system in Jammu & Kashmir, the implementation of Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme could reduce the escalating power costs for consumers in Jammu & Kashmir. Unscheduled power cuts both in winter and summer periods can be reduced only through improvement of hydro power infrastructural facilities and implementation of Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme.
“While the strength of policy decisions lies in their implementation, the implementation of the decisions taken for recovery of pending power bills from consumers amid announcement of no power hike for financial year 2024-25 and an interest of Jammu & Kashmir Government in the implementation of Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme could hugely reduce the inconveniences of power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.”
While Chief Secretary Attal Dulloo has already held several meetings on implementation of full solarisation of Government buildings across Jammu & Kashmir, a similar focus on the implementation of Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme could bring about a perceptible change in the power scenario in peak summer and peak winter period in Jammu & Kashmir. Since Government provides subsidies to people under Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme, a campaign to popularise the scheme could hugely reduce inconveniences to power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir and such a strategy could also reduce the increasing AT&C losses presently running over fifty percent in Jammu & Kashmir. While the strength of policy decisions lies in their implementation, the implementation of the decisions taken for recovery of pending power bills from consumers amid announcement of no power hike for financial year 2024-25 and an interest of Jammu & Kashmir Government in the implementation of Prime Minister’s Solar Ghar Yojna Scheme could hugely reduce the inconveniences of power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir.
