Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 21: As the Jammu & Kashmir Government came under fierce criticism from opposition parties over the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited’s (KPDCL) proposal to levy a 20 percent surcharge on power consumption during peak hours, the National Conference-led government on Friday said it will not allow the people of J&K to be burdened with any such “unfair” and “ill-timed” proposal.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), NC leader and MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq said the Omar Abdullah-led government has already taken a clear stand against the proposed 20% peak-hour surcharge. “In a harsh Kashmiri winter, power is a necessity, not a luxury. The Omar Abdullah–led government will not allow the people of J&K to be burdened with any such unfair and ill-timed proposal,” he wrote.
The NC spokesman clarified the government’s stand on the proposal submitted by KPDCL-a DISCOM-to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission after facing criticism from several opposition parties.
Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari described the proposal as a “grave injustice” to the people of Kashmir. “KPDCL’s proposal to impose a 20% surcharge on power tariffs during peak hours is a grave injustice to people who are already struggling to survive an economic crisis. Most of our population depends on tourism and horticulture—sectors that have suffered massive losses this year. Other businesses are also in decline. In such times, increasing electricity charges for mornings and evenings-when families rely on power the most in freezing cold-cannot be justified,” he wrote.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also termed the proposal a grave injustice, saying that people are already struggling to survive an economic crisis as businesses decline.
He said that instead of easing people’s problems, the government is adding to their woes. “Rather than fulfilling the commitment of providing 200 units of free electricity to the poor, new burdens are being placed on people. I urge the government to immediately withdraw this anti-people proposal,” an official handout quoted him as saying.
Peoples Conference general secretary Imran Reza Ansari questioned the rationale behind the hike, demanding clarity on who within the Power Development Department authorized the “magical midnight-thought tariff ideas.” “So just wondering, before we all get shocked with this proposed 20% peak-hour surcharge, can someone politely remind me who exactly is the Minister for Power Development Department approving these magical midnight-thought tariff ideas in Kashmir?” Ansari asked.
He added that despite a promise of 200 units of free electricity, Kashmiris are instead facing a 20% extra bill during the hours when people are freezing and desperately need electricity.
Peoples Democratic Party MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para termed the proposal “cruel” and “catastrophic.” “J&K government must do a real ground assessment before hiking electricity charges. People in posh areas may not feel it, but for ordinary Kashmiris, winter is a battle for survival. In Kashmir, electricity is not a luxury, it is life support. At a time when families are already struggling, raising tariffs on the poor and middle class will be cruel and catastrophic. Policies that ignore human suffering have no place in a just administration,” Para wrote on X.
The Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) also voiced strong opposition to the proposal.
In a statement, KTA President Aijaz Shahdhar termed the proposal “arbitrary” and “unjustified,” warning that such a move would severely impact the business community and the general public.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) also opposed the proposal, calling it unjustified, punitive, and an attempt to shift the burden of systemic failures onto the people of Kashmir.
