Srinagar: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari Saturday promised that if people support Apni Party in the forthcoming assembly elections and ensure formation of its government, the party would deliver free 300 units of electricity every month to every household.
A statement of Apni Party issued here said that addressing a one-day party’s convention at Charar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, he expressed serious concerns over the crippling economic scenario in Jammu and Kashmir saying that people of J&K were no more in a position to afford perpetuity in the prevailing dismal situation.
Bukhari said that J&K had abundant natural water resources through which thousands of megawatts of electricity were generated round-the-clock but still people of J&K were pushed to bear with excruciating power cuts in both the divisions alike.
“It’s saddening to see that J&K being a region with enough potential in hydroelectricity generation still has to face an immense electricity shortage throughout the year. In summers, Jammu division has to grapple with the agonising power cuts while Kashmir division witnesses perpetual blackouts during winter,” he said.
Bukhari said that the only response people received from the concerned department was power load shedding but asked for how long the citizens living in a post-modern world have to bear with this nuisance inflicted by a welfare state.
“It’s paradoxical that while J&K is a haven for electricity generation, the government is always crying about immense losses on electricity purchase that according to certain reports has reached to over Rs 6000 crore per annum. This is not a favour to the people of J&K if the government spends this much amount annually on power purchases for its people. It is a subsidy given to the 1.35 crore people whose natural resources are being utilised for the power generation consumed by the rest of the country as well,” he said adding that such unwarranted remarks made by a welfare state were tantamount to equating pro-people measures with a corporate business model.
Bukhari said be it post 5 August 2019 or Covid-19 crisis, for the past many years people in J&K had been facing a dire financial crisis in absence of an elected government.
“Apni Party will put its unswerving efforts for getting our economy back on track while delivering necessary amnesty wherever required,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Apni Party senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir said that the party’s agenda had always focused on the development and prosperity of the people of J&K which unfortunately had been ignored in the past.