Srinagar/Jammu: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Apni Party on Monday held separate protests here against electricity tariff hike in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be effective from September 1.
PDP leaders and workers assembled at the party office near the General Post Office and raised slogans against the 6.83 percent hike in electricity tariffs ordered by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission last week.
The protesters, carrying placards, tried to march towards Residency Road but were prevented by police personnel deployed for law and order duty.
Apni Party leaders and workers assembled at the Press Enclave near Pratap Park.
They demanded a roll back of the hike and urged the National Conference government to fulfill its promise of providing 200 free electricity units to each household every month.
The Apni Party workers also tried to march on the main road but were stopped by police.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra demanded immediate rollback of the tariff hike order.
Karra, whose party had contested the last Assembly elections in alliance with the National Conference but chose to stay out of the NC-led government until the restoration of statehood to J&K, termed the decision “unjust, burdensome and completely unbearable” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“At a time when households are already struggling with rising prices and increasing economic pressures, the government should have provided relief to consumers rather than adding to their burden through higher electricity bills,” the Congress leader said.
Karra, a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly, said people expected the government to announce relief and curtailment in electricity bills, not an increase in the per-unit tariff. “For an ordinary household, every additional rupee on the electricity bill directly affects the family budget. This decision is insensitive to the economic hardships being faced by our people,” he said.
The JKPCC chief demanded that the government immediately review and withdraw the tariff hike and introduce meaningful measures to reduce the electricity burden on domestic consumers, particularly economically weaker sections.
“The government must remember that electricity is not a luxury; it is an essential service. The people of J&K deserve affordable and reliable power, not ever-increasing bills,” he said, adding the Congress will stand firmly with the people and oppose every measure that places “an unjustified” financial burden on them.
He urged the NC government to reconsider the decision in the larger public interest and restore relief to consumers instead of making essential utilities increasingly unaffordable.
Hours after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah claimed that the National Conference had not promised relaxation in electricity tariffs, Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone shared a page from the party manifesto in which the NC had pledged to explore feasible ways to provide some respite in power tariff.
In a post on X, Lone said he was attaching the relevant page of NC’s manifesto to rejig the CM’s memory. “And CM sahib has made a statement that he never said that he will not increase tariffs. To rejig CM sahib’s memory I am attaching the relevant page from NC election manifesto,” Lone wrote.
He further said that the CM and National Conference are not telling the people of Jammu & Kashmir that the Punjab government is providing 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers and Himachal Pradesh 125 units.
“AAP’s Bhagwant Mann took oath as Punjab Chief Minister in 2022 and rolled out the free electricity scheme in the same year. All domestic consumers in Punjab are receiving 300 units of free power. As per the 2026–27 tariff order released by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the scheme continues. Lakhs of families in Punjab are receiving zero electricity bills, and the Punjab government has repeatedly claimed that 90% of households are getting zero bills,” Lone said.
He added that all domestic consumers in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh are receiving 125 units of free electricity. “All domestic consumers in Himachal Pradesh have been receiving 125 units of free electricity since 2022—a scheme first introduced by then Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and continued by his successor and incumbent Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Lakhs of families in HP are benefiting from free electricity,” Lone said.
Lone accused the CM and the ruling National Conference (NC) of going back on their election promise of providing relief in electricity tariffs.
Lone pointed out that the recent 6.8% tariff hike translates into an additional burden of over Rs 500 crore on consumers.
He said unsuspecting families were waiting for the promised 200 units of free electricity per month, but instead faced higher bills.
He added that in non-metered areas, household load was increased, raising bills by nearly 10 percent.
Lone further the free power promise was later restricted only to AAY ration card holders, covering about 200,000 families.
He calculated that over 22 months, each consumer is owed 4400 units of free electricity, equal to Rs 11,000 per household.
For 200,000 families, Lone said, this amounts to Rs 220 crore. “CM sahib owes 2200 crore to the people and has the audacity to put a burden of 500 crore,” Lone charged.
