Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Aug 24 :
Apni Party and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) workers on Monday staged separate protests in Srinagar against the 6.83 per cent hike in electricity tariff, demanding immediate rollback of the decision.
The Apni Party workers held a protest at Press Colony, while PDP workers staged a demonstration at the party headquarters in Srinagar.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), protesters raised slogans against the government and termed the tariff increase an additional burden on ordinary consumers.
The protests are in response to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) approval of an average 6.83 per cent increase in electricity tariffs in Jammu and Kashmir, with the revised rates set to come into effect from September 1.
One of the protestors said they were already paying high electricity bills despite facing frequent power issues. “Instead of giving relief to people, the government has increased the tariff. We demand that the decision be withdrawn,” he said.
Another protester said the hike would directly affect ordinary families.
“This tariff hike will directly affect ordinary families. We are already struggling with rising prices, and increasing electricity bills will only add to our burden. The government should immediately roll back the hike,” he said—(KNO)