Commenting on the ongoing power crisis in the valley, the former chief minister of Jammu Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has expressed great anguish.
From north to south Kashmir, people across the valley are aghast with frequent power cuts, especially during the time of Sehri and Iftari in the ongoing holy month of Ramadhan.
“It is unfortunate that during this holy month we have to offer prayers in dark, thanks to PDD department, which has failed to provide electricity despite smart meters and charging huge bills from customers,” said, Ghulam Hassan Dar, a local resident of Kulgam.
Several videos have gone viral on social media that show people praying on dark inside the mosques.
One of the worst hit districts has been Kulgam district where electricity has been playing hide and seek in most of the villages.
Residents of Kilam, Hablishi, Bozgam, Gund Tankipora, Agroo, Zahipora and many more villages of Devsar were facing challenges as the local administration fails to provide consistent electricity supply during the holy month of Ramadan.
Locals said that they have been experiencing frequent power outages, leading to disruptions in daily routines, meal preparations, and the ability to observe religious practices effectively.
Commenting on this grave situation, Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the People’s Democratic Party took to social media website X and denounced the frequent power cuts in the region.
“Buffliaz in Surankote is one of many places in J&K where people continue suffering immensely from excessive power cuts even during the month of Ramzan,” she tweeted.
She added, Smart metres have become extortion rackets fleecing customers notwithstanding the fact that there there isn’t any electricity.
Pertinently, hundreds of protests were held across Kashmir, mostly by women against the instalation of smart meters. However, the department went ahead and installed them, disconnecting electricity to the protesting areas, on several occassions.
“Smart meters will ensure that there was no power theft. The initiative has started showing results in terms of increased revenue collection. We hope to see even greater benefits after the installation is completed across J&K,” official state.