Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami slams admn for J&K power crisis

Jammu, May 14

Expressing concern over the power crisis in J&K, CPI (M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday said the ongoing power crisis is a failure of the administration and “mismanagement by those at the helm”.

In a statement, he said, “The recent declaration by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited of additional power curtailments is unacceptable and a blatant disregard for the well-being of the people of J&K. The people of Kashmir are shrouded in darkness, both literally and metaphorically. The claim of surplus power is a cruel joke when our citizens are subjected to unscheduled cuts and outages, now exacerbated by further curtailments. While other states enjoy the benefits of 10% free power, J&K is unjustly deprived, despite our natural resources being exploited. We demand at least 40% free power as compensation for the use of our land and water resources,” he said.

Tarigami said it is an economic burden and a social injustice that J&K must annually purchase power worth Rs 3,000-4,000 crore, only to impose this cost on the citizens through unjust power curtailments. “This is a policy failure and deliberate subjugation of our rights. We demand immediate rectification of these injustices and the implementation of equitable power-sharing norms. The citizens of J&K deserve transparency, fairness and respect,” he said.

He claimed that the consumers have expressed concerns and are troubled by the inflated bills generated by smart meters. “The focus should be on ensuring sufficient electricity rather than installing meters,” he said.