Unscheduled power cuts, ‘inflated bills’ trigger protest in Sheeri Baramulla
Baramulla: People from different areas, metered and non-metered, of Sheeri Narvaw Baramulla district on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration against Power Development Department Baramulla over unscheduled power cuts and “inflated bills”.
The protesters said: “As if irking power supply was not enough, PDD has issued bills at the rate of Rs 720 and Rs 750 to all consumers from both metered and non-metered areas fleecing consumers.”
They assembled on Srinagar-Muzzafarabad highway at Sheeri main market and disrupted traffic for several hours.
Block Development Chairman Narvaw Mir Iqbal said, “Due to frequent curtailments, forty villages of Naravw areas reel under complete darkness with onset of winter. We are elected representatives of people and we have to face people’s ire and anger as they face hardships due to frequent power cuts.”
The protesters from Sheeri, Zogiyar, Zandafaran, Gatamulla and other adjoining areas chanted slogans against the government and the PDD.
Assistant Executive Engineer PDD, Yasir Ahmad Kakroo said, “People are using electricity injudiciously and there is rampant power theft.”
