JAMMU AUGUST 12 (KNS): Former Minister and Senior National Conference leader Mr Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to rollback the authoritarian, unjust and anti-poor decision on power tariff, especially the prepaid mode of payment by consumers.
Addressing National Conference workers at Gho Manasan in Marh Assembly Constituency this afternoon under the president ship of Pt. Mohan Lal Khajuria, Mr Sadhotra said the present dispensation has lost sense of proportion as a result of which a large number of poor and marginalised consumers are left with no option but to remain without electricity during the ongoing humid and scorching summers. The highly inflated bills should be immediately withdrawn, he demanded.
He also asked the concerned department to address to the serious concern of the consumers about higher reading of electricity consumption in the smart meters and whopping tariff bills. The departmental response about over billing being attributed to computer, it is ridiculous, he said, adding that the entire system appears to have gone haywire with nobody sharing the responsibility. “The actors behind such a nightmarish situation are the BJP policy planners, who tend to take revenge from the people for rejecting their fascist, divisive and pro-capitalist policies”, the senior National Conference leader said, the people of Jammu and Kashmir subjected to harassment on every front. As if the rising prices were not enough, the administration has come up with a harsh measures of ‘prepaid smart metering mechanisms, to break the backbone of the poor, he said. “This is the BJP way of reaching out to last person in the society with heavy power tariff bills and making them to suffer without electricity for over five months “, he said.
Mr Sadhotra blamed the BJP government for showing worse kind of insensitivity while dealing with matters of immense public importance. The power tariff mechanism has hit every segment of society with nobody caring for their woes or listening to reason and logic. Mr Sadhotra asked the Double Engine Government to connect with the people at ground and have the courage to face realities, which are horrendous. Those struggling to meet the both ends meals are asked to prepay thousands of rupees to avail the electricity, a basic necessity during summers in particular. Depriving people of this important facility is gross human rights violation, the National Conference leader maintained. Mr Ajay Kumar Sadhotra also expressed serious concern over erratic power supply and unscheduled cuts, saying the administration has totally failed in meeting the situation. Due to power cuts for longer hours, the water supply also remains affected which is a common scenario witnessed all over the Jammu region.
He blamed the PDD for not having anticipated the power requirement and making advance arrangements to meet the requirements. Mr Sadhotra said the National conference cannot remain mute spectator to sufferings of the people, especially on power and drinking water fronts. In this double engine government, there is no body is accountable and responsible towards the people, who are facing the brunt of insensitive governance “, he said. Mr Kamal Kumar with hundreds of youth from Gho Manasan joined National Conference.
Mr. Sadhotra and other leaders welcomed the new entrants and hoped that their dedication and zeal with strengthen our party National Conference and will also strengthen the hands of Dr. Farooq Abdullah President J&K National Conference and Omar Abdullah Vice President, J&K National Conference. Prominent among those who addressed the meeting are Raghubir Singh District President, Rakesh Sharma District Youth President, Ghar Singh Corporator, Charanjeet Singh Block President Marh, S.Hardeep Singh President Municipality Gho Manasan, Capt Joginder Bhagat, Ch Vikas Singh Block President Youth National Conference, Aman Singh Manhas, Piar Singh, Suraj Parkash Sharma, Varinder Lakhotra.(KNS)