Srinagar: PHDCCI Jammu and Kashmir has demanded the rollback of the proposed power tariff hike by the power department. According to a statement, PHDCCI Jammu Chair, Rahul Sahai and PHDCCI Kashmir Chair Baldev Singh Raina have denounced the proposed average 17.74 percent power tariff hike by JPDCL for the Jammu region and 12.46 percent power tariff hike by KPDCL in Kashmir region.
The PHDCCI J&K in a joint statement has demanded immediate rollback of the proposed power tariff hike in domestic, industrial, commercial, and agriculture categories.
Rahul Sahai said in a statement that the power tariff hike will be an unbearable burden on the common people. He further added that even after enhancing the tariff, PDCL would neither be able to meet the revenue deficit nor the net revenue requirement of (FY 2022-23)
Raina stated that this proposed power tariff hike would impact domestic as well as industrial and commercial consumers. “We, therefore, request the electricity regulatory Commission, to thoroughly examine the proposal of PDCL and spare the poor and middle-class domestic and Existing Industrial and Service sector consumers from this unnecessary power hike as all economic sectors and people are already saddled with uncertainty.”
” We request the UT administration not to increase the electricity tariff for the financial year 2022-23,” the statement reads.
“The hike in electricity tariffs, unless accompanied by sweeping steps to improve the performance of distribution departments and improvement in power losses, would prevent the entity from achieving commercial viability and ensure returns which are optimal and sustainable,” it said.
“We request the UT administration to earmark the budget and additional funds as subsidy for electricity consumption by domestic and agriculture to neutralise the effect of an increase in tariff. Also, there should be an announcement for free electricity for domestic consumers having monthly consumption of upto 150 units. We are of an opinion that tariff should be based on the number of units used, as each household consumes power according to its ability to pay and we request to provide power to every household at an affordable price and structural reform in domestic power tariff and Industrial power tariff is need of the hour,” Raina said.