Srinagar: Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday said that the electricity situation in Kashmir is still unstable for both home and industrial usage, with sporadic load shedding and power curtailments occurring much too frequently to be tolerated. Despite the supply being unpredictable, the bills are being raised unreasonably as well.
The KCCI in a statement said that the power situation in Kashmir both for industries as also domestic use remains to be uncertain and erratic load shedding and curtailment of power is frequent beyond tolerance, the supply is erratic yet the bills are raised irrationally.
“Transformers damaged take a month to get replaced leaving the people on lurk to cry for the essential requirement of electricity. With the onset of winter, unscheduled and prolonged power cuts have become an unwritten rule, not only in non-metered areas but metered areas as well,” it said.
Meanwhile, KCCI urged J&K’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to announce amnesty of power tariffs in favour of commercial and industrial consumers.
The business body, in a statement, said that the industrialists of the Jammu & Kashmir region have almost collapsed due to the pandemic Covid-19 crises.
KCCI drew the attention of LG Sinha and chief secretary Arun Kumar Mehta towards the industrial sector of Jammu & Kashmir saying due to the financial crunch a number of units have not availed of the previous power amnesty Scheme.
They requested the authorities not to disconnect the power supplies forcing the industrialists/ commercial establishments to close down their units.
“Recently we met Principal Secretary Power Development Department, J&K and we are waiting for the outcome of our suggestions given in the meeting. W request LG Administration to announce amnesty to the Commercial Consumers at par with Domestic Consumers so that they can pay their (pending) electricity bills waiving interest and penalties besides after settling the same with the Power Development Department,” the statement reads.