SUHAIL KHAN
Srinagar, Nov 24 ; Chief Minister Omar Abdullah issued a firm denial on Monday regarding widespread media reports of a proposed 20 percent hike in electricity tariffs, dismissing the claims as a manufactured controversy over a “non-existent” issue.
Holding the additional portfolio of Power Minister, Abdullah speaking with media as per Kashmir Convener stated categorically that no proposal to increase power charges has ever reached his desk for consideration. “There is no electricity hike,” the Chief Minister asserted. “As the Power Minister, I state with full responsibility that no such proposal, let alone its approval, has ever come to my table. The question of increasing tariffs simply does not arise.”
He further pointed to the recent budget, which explicitly mentioned that electricity rates would remain unchanged, and sought to reassure the public. “I want to reassure everyone that no such proposal has been received or considered,” Abdullah added. “Deliberately, arguments are being created around an issue that does not exist.”
The Chief Minister’s clarification comes in the wake of significant political backlash and public concern triggered by media reports suggesting the Power Development Department had drafted a proposal to impose a 20 percent surcharge on electricity consumption during peak hours.
The reports drew immediate condemnation from opposition parties across the spectrum.
J&K Apni Party chief Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari labeled the purported move a “grave injustice” to the people of Kashmir.
National Conference chief spokesperson and MLA Zadibal, Tanvir Sadiq, while opposing the reported KPDCL proposal, clarified his party’s stance on social media platform X. “In a harsh Kashmiri winter, power is a necessity, not a luxury,” Sadiq wrote. “The Omar Abdullah-led government will not allow the people of J&K to be burdened with any such unfair and ill-timed proposal.”
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed U Rehman Parra, criticized the government, urging a “real ground assessment.” In a post on X, Parra stated, “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.” He called a potential tariff hike “cruel and catastrophic” for struggling families.
Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), part of the ruling alliance at the center, voiced strong opposition. Er. Aijaz Hussain, a State Executive Member of the BJP, termed the reported hike “anti-people” and an unfair burden on households. “The government earlier promised to provide 200 units of free electricity… Instead of delivering on what has been assured, the government is now proposing a 20% tariff hike, which is highly unjustified and unacceptable,” Hussain said.
Meanwhile, The political storm escalated earlier on Monday when police prevented the PDP’s women’s wing from holding a planned protest against the proposed hike at the party headquarters near Sher-e-Kashmir Municipal Park.
Responding to the incident, former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti took to X, stating that “peaceful voices were being throttled.” She described the police action as “yet another continuation of the assault on our democratic rights since 2019.”
“When even the most peaceful voices are throttled under the pretext of law and order it sends a chilling message that our pain is irrelevant, that our rights are expendable, and that speaking up now carries an unfair cost,” Mufti posted. She warned that “this constant silencing is pushing Kashmiris to the wall,” fostering a “sense of collective punishment.”
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