Electricity amnesty scheme fails to benefit poor: Fayaz Mir

Srinagar, Oct 28: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker Mohammad Fayaz Mir on Tuesday said that the government’s electricity amnesty scheme, introduced four years ago to assist poor consumers, has failed to deliver benefits to them
Speaking in the Assembly, Mir said that with the onset of winter every year, people continue to face electricity shortages despite repeated government assurances.
He said the amnesty scheme was launched with the belief that it would ease the burden on poor households, but in practice, those with multiple properties have benefitted instead.
“In villages, there are families with six or seven houses who have received relief under the scheme, while poor families living in a single room continue to struggle to pay electricity bills of rupees 1,500 to 1,600,” Mir said.
He urged the government to consider a one-time settlement for pending electricity dues under the AYPF scheme, which he said could bring substantial revenue to the government’s treasury and help regularize payments.
Mir said poor families under schemes like PMAY are unable to build houses or afford basic needs due to delays in financial assistance. “If the government cannot release even rupees 15,000 for rice, how will poor families arrange 1 lakh to build a house?” he asked.
He said such schemes should be implemented in a way that provides real relief to low-income households and ensures that government benefits reach the intended beneficiaries. (KNO)