Anantnag: Hundreds of consumers from different metered areas of Dooru Shahabad Tehsil staged strong protest demonstration against Power Development Department (PDD), alleging that without their knowledge the department revised load agreement, despite meter agreement.
A large number of consumers shouting slogans against PDD assembled on Anantnag-Verinag road and staged a protest demonstration against the department alleging that they have been charged with flat rates despite meters installed in their homes and their load agreement has been revised without their consent.
Due to the protest demonstration vehicular traffic remained suspended for several hours on the road that caused inconvenience to the passengers, especially tourists.
“Despite having electricity meters installed in our areas to measure our electricity usage, PDD has revised load agreement and increased up to 2KV per house hold and now have sent us bills amounting more than 2000 per house hold without taking meter readings into consideration. Irrespective of whether a consumer has utilized 50 units or 300 units, the bill is same; we fail to understand the reason. Its injustice,” protesting Mustaq Ahmad Malik said.
The protestors alleged that when it comes to smooth power supply, which PDD is supposed to provide to metered areas, the department fails, but at the time billing, they (PDD) shower “bombs” on poor
consumers in the shape of huge bills.
“How can they charge us flat rates and increase our load agreement when there is meter agreement? Before meter agreement we were having 1/2KV agreement with the department and after meter agreement every consumer is free to use the electricity and pay according to it and we here failed to understand what the department is doing?” Another protester Bashir Ahmad said.
The protesting consumers rue the power outages which they said had become a routine matter.
Executive Engineer, Altaf Ahmad reportedly along with police officials visited the spot and pacified protesters and after assuring bills as per consumed load.
Altaf Ahmad said that “they will recheck the bills and according to meter reading, issue new bills.”
Photos by: Mashooq Ahmad
Saahil Suhail is reporter with Early Times Jammu and contributes to Times Now, Mirror Now and All India Radio. He is lives in Anantnag, J&K and can be reached out on [email protected] or +91 94190 48086
