Tarigami criticises power tariff hike in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir unit of CPI(M) today criticised the state government's approval for fresh hike in power tariff and demanded immediate reversal of the "unjustified" decision.
"The unjustified decision should be rescinded immediately as otherwise the same is bound to add to the sufferings of people in the state," State secretary of CPI(M) M Y Tarigami said in a statement here.
The fresh hike of around eight per cent in power tariff is directly going to hit lakhs of consumers in the state who have witnessed an unprecedented and an arbitrary hike in power tariff in past few years, he claimed.

Referring to some media reports, Tarigami termed it unfortunate alleging the consumers in metered as well as non metered areas have experienced sky touching hikes in power tariff since 2006-2007.
He expressed strong reservations over the reports that the hike has been put at just two per cent as far as the government departments are concerned even after these departments being the major defaulters on power dues.
"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.
Tarigami said the increase in fuel prices has already put pressure on the poor especially BPL consumers and any move to hike power tariff would amount to breaking their backbone.