PDP leader and Additional spokesperson Rouf Bhat has expressed serious concern over the hike in power tariff approved by Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) and the administration to roll back the hike given the distressing economic situation in Jammu Kashmir.
In a statement issued to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Bhat said the people of Jammu Kashmir are grappling with a serious and distressing economic situation which are providing here post-COVID lockdown and uncertain situation.
He said that at a time when the administration should have come up with measures and policies to revive the economy and livelihood of people, on the contrary, it is hiking taxes and power tariffs which is burdening losses of the people and business sector.
He said that hiking power tariff in the situation prevailing in absence of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir indicates an unfriendly administration that is hardly concerned about the welfare of the people.
He said that instead of hiking a lower tariff, the administration should have worked out a plan to buy back the hydroelectric power projects of Jammu and Kashmir from NHPC and other private companies to become a self-sufficient power generating and power seller.
“The present administration has given on a platter several hydroelectric power projects to private companies which results in such arbitrary decisions of hiking power tariff every now and then,” he said.
He said that PDP always envisioned and demanded that power projects from NHPC and other companies should be bought back so that Jammu Kashmir becomes a power seller rather than a buyer.
“If the present administration had any vision or concern for the welfare of the people here, it would have made policies for the return of power projects rather than increasing the tariff,” he said.(KNS)