Babar Rather
Bandipora, Jan 18 : Locals on Monday held a massive protest against Power Development Department (PDD) at two different places in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district against hike in monthly tariffs and blocked Bandipora-Srinagar highway.
Eyewitnesses said dozens of residents assembled on road at Naninara area of Sumbal and Dachina area of Bandipora and held a massive protest demonstration against PDD for hike in monthly traffics and erratic power supply.
The protests resulted in traffic jams at both the places on Srinagar- Bandipora highway.
The locals of both the areas while protesting shouted slogans against the PDD department for initiating such a move even when they have failed to provide them with the facility.
They said that the PDD was making the locals suffer by resorting to such decisions unilaterally.
Locals from Dachina Bandipora said that Power authorities have hiked electricity tariff in a unilateral decision when the government has even failed to provide regular supply to consumers. The Department has no cogent and valid justification in hiking the power tariff thus making it unaffordable to the poorer sections of the society.
At a time when the economy of the people is in doldrums in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hike in tariff is totally unacceptable and should be rolled back immediately, said another local from Naninara Sumbal.
They have appealed to the LG administration to look into the matter and roll back the decision of hike in monthly tariffs. (KDC)
