Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla accompanied by senior leaders of the Party, Yogesh Sawhney, Kanta Baan and Pranav Shagotra today led a strong protest to express their opposition to the installation of smart meters, citing concerns about their ability to afford the increased tariffs based on smart meter readings.
During the protest organized by Manmohan Singh, the protesters denounced the unilateral and unnecessary actions of the Jammu Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JKPDCL) in installing the smart meters.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla voiced the frustration of many by stating, “People of Jammu have been diligently paying their electricity bills, but suddenly they appeared out of nowhere, cutting off the power supply and installing these meters. They are not financially capable of paying the tariffs based on meter readings. He claimed that people from the unprivileged section wouldn’t be able to make their both ends meet if they spend their earnings on power bills.
Bhalla condemned the move as “sheer injustice” inflicted upon the people. “This is nothing short of high-handedness. They are already grappling with numerous challenges, and this will only make their lives more difficult,” he remarked. “The Government is making them face hardships. The installation of smart meters is nothing short of a catastrophe for them,” asserted Bhalla.
Yogesh Sawhney said, “Instead of providing relief to the people, the Government keeps imposing unjust measures one after another.” He further warned that the Government’s actions were testing the patience of the people in J&K, and that continued such measures would be met with strong resistance.
Manmohan Singh voiced his worries about the financial implications of the smart meters, fearing that they would further burden households already facing difficulties. “Most of the people here are poor and cannot afford hefty bills. They would rather face dire consequences if they are forced to pay as per installed smart meters,” he said.
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