Syedabad Pastuna residents protest power tariff hike
Say ‘Governor’s rule was better than current Govt’
Pulwama: The residents of Syedabad Pastuna in Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday staged a protest against what they termed an “unjustified and repeated hike” in the monthly electricity tariff by the Power Development Department (PDD), alleging that the rising power bills have pushed already poor households to the brink.
The protesters said that despite Syedabad Pastuna being a Reserved Backward Area (RBA), electricity charges in the locality have been increased several times over the past one year.
They accused the authorities of ignoring the socio-economic condition of the area while imposing heavy financial burdens on residents.
“We are living in an RBA area where people survive on meagre incomes. In the last one year alone, our electricity bills have been revised again and again without any explanation. How can a daily wager or a marginal farmer afford such huge amounts every month?” a local resident said during the protest.
Several protesters compared the present situation with the period of Governor’s Rule, claiming that power tariffs were more reasonable then. “During Governor’s Rule, at least the poor were not suffocated like this. Today, under the current NC-led government, electricity fees are rising continuously. We never faced such pressure earlier,” said another resident.
Locals alleged that monthly bills which earlier ranged between Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 have now gone up to Rs 2,000-2700 and even beyond, leaving families struggling to meet basic household expenses. “We are not opposing payments, but the hike is unbearable. There is no steady income here, no industries, no jobs. Electricity has become a luxury for us,” a protester said.
Women protesters also voiced concern, stating that many households are forced to choose between paying electricity bills and meeting essential needs.
“Sometimes we have to delay buying ration or medicines just to clear the power bill. Is this what development means?” a woman protester said.
The residents further alleged that poor power supply, frequent outages and voltage fluctuations make the high bills even more unacceptable. “We face hours-long power cuts, especially in winters, yet the bills keep increasing. There is no justification for such charges,” they said.
The protesters demanded immediate intervention of higher authorities, including senior officials of the PDD and the district administration. “We appeal to the higher-ups to look into our plight, review the tariff hikes and provide relief to poor consumers in RBA areas like ours,” they said, warning that they would intensify protests if their demands are not addressed.
