Tawseef Ahmad
Hajjin: The residents of Hajjin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday staged a protest against the “installation of smart electric metres in their locality.”
Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said scores of people, including women, came out on the Banger Mohalla road, raising slogans in support of their demands while urging the concerned department not to go ahead with the move of installing the smart meters.
Haleema, a protesting woman, told the Kashmir Despatch Correspondent that we are very poor and can’t afford the huge bills that will be generated after the installation of the smart meters. She said that already since last year, our families have faced hard times, and now this issue has added to our suffering.
The protesting Hajjin residents said we are barely making ends meet through labour and asked how it is possible we can pay such hefty bills once smart metres are installed.
They appealed to the LG-led government not to be so harsh for poor people, as they are barely managing to survive.
Speaking to Kashmir Despatch, a PDD official said that the department sent a team to the area to make people understand the smart metre and its benefits, but unfortunately no one is ready to cooperate with the department.
The officer said with the installation of smart meters, people will get better electricity, among other facilities.
He said smart metres are being installed across the country under a centrally sponsored scheme, and this is indeed good for every household.
