Bhat Ajaz Ahmad
Beerwah, Budgam, August 6 (KNS): Scores of women took to the streets in Beerwah town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday to protest against the installation of smart electricity meters in residential areas.
Chanting slogans against the Power Development Department (PDD), the agitated women blocked main roads and demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing installation drive. The protesters, many of them homemakers and elderly women, said the new meters would lead to exorbitant electricity bills and prove unaffordable for common households.
“We are already struggling with inflation.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelNow the government wants to burden us further with these so-called smart meters that will charge us beyond our capacity,” said a local woman protester.
The protesters claimed that the installation was being carried out without proper consultation or public awareness. “They are forcing these meters on us without our consent. We won’t allow it,” another protester said.
The protesting women threatened to intensify their agitation if the installation work is not stopped. So far, there has been no official response from the local administration regarding the issue. (KNS)