Baramulla: Amid the power crisis across Kashmir, traders in Baramulla town along with industrial unit holders in Sopore staged a protest against the administration for their failure to address the power woes.
In Baramulla town, the Traders Federation Baramulla, led by its general secretary, Tariq Ahmad Mughloo, assembled in the main town and raised slogans against the administration. The protesting traders said that the power crisis has disappointed the people of Kashmir.
“Earlier whenever there used to be a power crisis, especially during winter, administration as part of the people-friendly initiative would start gas turbines and provide relief to the people. However the present dispensation is taking no step to resolve the power crisis which has affected people, especially during the month of Ramadhan,” Mughloo said.
Threatening to intensify protests, the traders said if the issue was not resolved they will encourage people in the district to avoid paying this month’s electricity bill.
“Why will we pay monthly electricity bills when we don’t receive electricity,” questions Tariq Ahmad Mughloo. “Our business has been ruined, we are unable to file returns or pay other taxes online because of the unscheduled power cuts,” he added.
Meanwhile, in Sopore town, the industrial unit holders, under its president, Javed Ahmad, staged a protest against the administration over the unending power crisis which has crippled common people’s life.
While demanding an adequate power supply, Javed Ahmad, president of the Industrial unit association Sopore, said that all the unitholders in the Sopore area have been badly hit due to the power crisis.
He said most of the unit holders had taken advances from their clients for manufacturing different articles, however, as the power crisis shows no sign of improvement, their business has got badly affected.