Tral residents hold protest against hike in power tariff

BASHARAT RASHID

Tral, 19 Nov: A protest demonstration was held in the Tral sub-district of South Kashmir on Thursday, against the alleged hike in power tariff.

The aggrieved locals assembled at Uptown Tral, and took out a protest rally, from Khankah Faiz Panah to Aabgar, and were chanting slogans against the power development department (PDD).

Chairman Citizens Council Tral, Farooq Trali was leading the protest rally, who said that sudden hike in power tariff is unacceptable, and won’t be tolerated.

He further said that the power tariff has been hiked, at a time, when all sections of the society are crumbling financially due to the lockdown, which was imposed in wake of the corona pandemic.

Trali further said that PDD authorities shouldn’t generate bills on the basis of load enhancement, as they don’t provide electricity as per the given schedule.

“We won’t accept a hike in tariff based on load enhancement. There are low-income people, who can’t afford, to pay such a hefty amount, in the form of electricity bills. We totally oppose this decision and protest against it,” Trali told Arising State.

The protesters have unanimously demanded immediate revocation of the electricity bills, within a week.

Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Power Development Department (PDD), Mohammad Maqbool Ahanger told Arising State, “tariff hasn’t been changed, but people are using  electricity illegally, by resorting to unfair practices that lead to overloading as a result  high electricity bill is received by the consumers.”

He said that people have to cooperate with the department, and should let them maintain the existing load, by following the agreement.

“We appeal to people to follow the agreement and use the power legally. Power pilferage won’t be accepted,” AEE said.