CPI(M) opposes any hike in power tariffs in J&K

Srinagar: The Communist Party of India (M) today strongly opposed any hike in the power tariff in Jammu and Kashmir.
CPI (M) state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has opposed proposal of State Electricity Regularity Board (SERB) for recommending steep hike in power tariffs for all categories in general and that of domestic category in particular.
Mr Tarigami in a statement advised the government to take ground realities into the consideration before embarking on such an exercise.
Power position in rural areas continues to be grim and far from satisfactory.
”The government has no rationale to hike tariffs without improving power supply position in the rural areas”, he said.
People pine for a few hours hassle-free electricity; he affirmed and said the low power voltage reminds of the proverbial glowworm in a dark night.
Mr Tarigami said, increase in fuel prices has already put pressure on the poor, especially BPL consumers and any move to hike power tariff will amount to breaking their backbone.
Let the government plug transmission and distribution losses, which he said, is mainly responsible for the shortfall in the revenue realisation.
He said the government has received hundreds of crores of rupees as Power Reform Grants for reducing Transmission and Distribution losses from the centre but the department has not achieved any significant progress on this account so far.