Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed Para on Friday voiced strong opposition to the proposed hike in electricity tariffs, warning that any increase during peak morning and evening hours would deepen the hardships of ordinary Kashmiris already struggling through economic distress and harsh winter conditions.
Para said the government must carry out a real ground assessment before enforcing any tariff hike. He said people in affluent areas may not feel the impact, but for the majority of Kashmiris winter is a struggle for survival.
He stated that electricity in Kashmir is not a luxury but life support, especially at a time when families are trying to cope with low incomes, rising expenses and ongoing economic uncertainty. Para said increasing power tariffs for the poor and middle class during hours when households depend on heating the most would be “cruel and catastrophic.”
He added that policies that overlook human suffering have no place in a just administration and urged authorities to reconsider the proposal in light of the challenges people face in winter.
The proposal by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited, suggesting a twenty percent surcharge on peak-hour consumption, has triggered widespread criticism. Several political leaders across the Union Territory have also denounced the move, calling it unfair and insensitive to the economic realities of the population. [KNT]
