Protestors block Srinagar-Muzzafarbad highway for hours, PDD authorities urges for judicious use of power
Reyaz Rashid
Baramulla: People from different metered and non-metered areas of Sheeri Narvaw Baramulla district on Monday staged strong protest demonstration against Power Development Department Baramulla for unscheduled power curtailments and issuing inflated bills to them randomly without taking into account meter readings and previous tariffs.
As if irking power supply and excessive electricity tariff was not enough, PDD issued bills at the rate of Rs 370 and Rs 750 to all consumers from both metered and non-metered areas fleecing consumers.
Up in arms against PDD as irked by unscheduled curtailment, protestors chanting anti-government and anti PDD slogans staged strong protest on Srinagar-Muzzafarabad highway at Sheeri main market and disrupted traffic movement.
President Beopar Mandal Sheeri Sajad Bashir Lone said, “Due frequent curtailments and inflated bills by PDD forced us to come on roads and all villages reel under complete darkness with onset of winter.”
“We see power in proverbial once in blue moon and were compelled to come on roads as the authorities have been denying our basic right and facility. The power projects are earning billions of rupees on our waters but we are denied the facility which is sheer exploitation,” he
The protesters from Sheeri , Zogiyar, Zandafaran, Gantamulla and other adjoining areas chanted slogans against the government and the PDD. They tore off and burnt electricity bills as a gesture of defiance.
Another protestor Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone said that exams of students are going on but there is no electricity how can they prepare and appeared in online exams via laptops and mobile phones when there is no power.
The justification of inflated bills offered by PDD authorities is that more electricity is consumed in the month of September onwards and reading is very low which indicates there is power theft.
Thus they have warned the consumers to be prepared to face yet another inflated bill for the month of December and strict checking of power theft which would penalize them Rs 15000 on spot.
Assistant Executive Engineer PDD, Yasir Ahmad Kakroo said, “People are using electricity ruthlessly and there is rampant power theft. If you have many appliances at home and the meter shows just 50 units then who is using the power?”