JAMMU July 20th: The J&K National Conference vehemently opposed the decision of J&K Government to replace smart power meters with prepaid meters. The Party believed that switching over from one type of meter to another will not serve the purpose, as the root cause of corruption lies within the system and not with the power meters themselves. The delinquent staff and corrupt consumers are responsible for the bungling, not the meters.
In a statement issued here today, Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President JKNC, Jammu, said that switching over from one type of meter to another will not serve the purpose because ‘corruption’ is deep rooted in the state. The present dispensation is miserably failed to eradicate corruption and now the government has started harassing general public.
He questioned the government’s decision, stating, “What is the point of big packages announced by the government if the common people have to pay extra bucks to cover up the losses incurred by the power department?” He believed that the government’s approach is adding additional burden to the already struggling population who have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic and are facing the repercussions of the highest-ever inflation and unemployment in J&K.
Rattan Lal Gupta strongly believed that it is inhumane for the government to enforce advance payment of power bills on the marginalized population. “On one hand, the government is claiming that J&K will become a power surplus Union Territory in the next three to four years, with the completion of hydroelectric projects generating 3099 Mega Watts of power and the other hand the government is forcing common man to pay power bills in advance, which is deemed inhuman,” he added.
The senior NC leader called on the government to reconsider its decision and instead follow the policies implemented by the Delhi and Punjab governments and those consuming power upto 200 units should be exempted from paying bills, as a way to support the already burdened population.
Furthermore, he asked the Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd (JPDCL) authorities to prioritize providing uninterrupted power supply to the people instead of demanding advance payment. The current financial crunch faced by the population due to the pandemic and its extensive impact makes it an inappropriate time to make such harsh decisions, he said.
The Provincial President sought that the authorities should revisit the proposal to switch over to prepaid meters. He believed that it is not the right time to implement such anti people schemes when people are facing a financial crunch. The government should focus on supporting the population rather than putting further pressure on them.