Opposing privatization of Power Development Department (PDD), Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) on Wednesday appealed to the government to revert the decision.
In a joint statement, the party leaders Aijaz Ahmed Khan, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Manjit Singh, Vijay Bakaya and others expressed resentment against the move.
“The government should improve the electricity supply and stop electricity losses instead of privatizing the department,” said the JKAP leaders.
They asked the department to take welfare decisions for employees and expedite regularization of the workers who have completed seven years of service.
“The government should desist from the decisions which put people to hardship,” they said.
They said people have lost jobs and many business establishments have been closed due to COVID pandemic and appealed the government to review the decision for welfare of the people, PDD employees and their families.
Meanwhile, senior JKAP leader Muhammad Ashraf Mir censured the government for not harnessing solar power potential of J&K.
Addressing a gathering at the party office in Lal Chowk, Mir observed that the dismal performance exhibited by the government in tapping the solar power potential was mainly because of its inability to remove the administrative bottlenecks.
“J&K has a topographical advantage and that is why it has the second largest solar power potential in the country. But it is highly unfortunate that the J&K government has so far failed to focus on this important sector leaving people deprived of its benefits,” he said.
Mir also demanded that the electricity charges on all commercial and other business establishments should be waived off because of the situation since August last year in J&K.
On the occasion, the statement said, Mohsin Hassan Malik from Langate, Handwara joined the JKAP in presence of party leaders Ghulam Hassan Mir, Rafi Ahmad Mir and others. The statement said around 20 prominent citizens from Chattabal-Batamaloo constituency also joined the party.