SRINAGAR: Asserting that that Industrialists in Jammu & Kashmir region have suffered due to the Covid -19 pandemic, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) has urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to announce amnesty for power tariff in favour of commercial and industrial consumers.
Drawing attention of Sinha and Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta towards the industrial sector of Jammu & Kashmir, KCCI President Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad said that a number of units have not availed the previous Power Amnesty Scheme, due to the financial crunch.
“Recently, we met Principal Secretary, Power Development Department , J&K and we are waiting for the outcome of our suggestions given in the meeting. We request the LG administration to announce amnesty to the Commercial Consumers at par with Domestic Consumers so that they can pay their (pending) electricity bills, waiving interest and penalties besides after settling the same with the Power Development Department,” said the KCCI in a press handout.
Ahmad also requested the authorities not to disconnect the power supplies forcing the Industrialists and Commercial Establishments to close down their units.
“The power situation in the Kashmir, both for industries as also domestic use, remains uncertain and erratic load shedding and curtailment of power is frequent beyond tolerance. The supply is erratic, yet the bills are raised irrationally. Damaged transformers take month to get replaced, leaving the people on lurk to cry for the essential requirement of electricity. With the onset of winter, unscheduled and prolonged power cuts have become an unwritten rule, not only in non-metered areas, but metered areas as well,” said the KCCI.
“The administration must come out immediately with a comprehensive power supply policy to cope with intermittent and unscheduled power cuts during this harsh winter,” it said.
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