Shopian, 15-Sep; A massive Protest was held against the Power Development Department (PDD) on Wednesday at Narwav village in south Kashmir’s Shopain district against hike in monthly tariffs.The aggrieved locals from Narwav, Hanjipora, Palpora, Rawalpora, Gadapora, Aayend and Binipora staged protest at Narwav receiving station and blocked road while displaying electricity bills in their hands.They alleged that among 231 villages in the district, tariff of only seven villages has been hiked thus making locals suffer by resorting to such decisions unilaterally. “The Department has no cogent and valid justification in hiking the power tariff thus making it unaffordable to the poorer sections of the society’’, locals saidEarlier the PDD was charging them Rs 575 per month and now we are being charged as Rs 775 per month which is not affordable .Even some of the areas in the district still pay Rs 300 only as their monthly bills, they said.“This increase is unacceptable to us and we will not pay them unless the power development department enters into an agreement with us that they will provide us uninterrupted power supply as per schedule,” added locals.The protesters were shouting slogans against the PDD for initiating such a move even when it has failed to provide uninterrupted electricity.People appealed to the LG administration to look into the matter and roll back the decision of hike in monthly tariffs. (CNS)
