Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 3: Apni Party today staged a protest demonstration at Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu against the installation of pre-paid meters and excess electricity bills in Jammu and Kashmir.
The protest was organized by Apni Trade Union J&K President Ajaz Kazmi with other party leaders and workers. While shouting slogans against the installation of the smart meters in Jammu and Kashmir, the Apni Party leaders demanded immediate roll back of the order in this regard and an end to the harassment of the electricity consumers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the protesters, Ajaz Kazmi said that it appears to be a scam in which the already working electricity poles mounted with meters in Jammu City’s 1, 2 and 3 division under RAPDRP scheme in the last three years are being replaced.
Kazmi expressed surprise over why Rs 1000 crores are being spent to install 3 lakh smart meters despite knowing that earlier meters mounted on poles are working fine and all these have automatic reading features which do not require a meter reader.
“The contract of installing meters is being sub-let to other experienced contractors, and surprisingly, these smart meters are not being tested at the time of installation. It shows that transparency has not been adopted by the concerned agency,” he said while questioning the PDD.
There is growing concern over the excess electricity bills being charged to the consumers. The PDD has adopted no transparency about units being consumed on hourly basis, he alleged.
He further stated that along with smart meters, the meters are being converted into prepaid mode without taking consumers into confidence. “The consumers who are not defaulters should pay in pre-paid mode. Hence, the PDD has not adopted any reason for the installation or charging of bills from the consumers,” he added.
Prominent among those who were present in the protest include Provincial Vice President, Sheikh Mohammad Shafi, State President SC Wing, Bodh Raj Bhagat, State President, OBC, Bhagat Ram, Spokesperson, Yasser Khan, Provincial President Jammu Youth Wing, Vipul Bali, Provincial President Women Wing Jammu, Pavneet Kour, Tirath Singh and others.
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