J&K Polls: Free electricity, a mere slogan or a reality in offing

J&K Polls: Free electricity, a mere slogan or a reality in offing?

Srinagar, Sep 10 (NVI): The upcoming Assembly elections taking place after a decade in J&K are not crucial for all parties in the fray but assume significance that majority of parties are talking about giving free electricity to people. The power has always been a bone of contention between people and the administration in J&K.

J&K administration has taken several measures to ensure zero power theft that entails installation of smart meters and cable wiring where people are finding it difficult to steal power through hooking.

What is interesting to note at this point of them when political parties especially National Conference, PDP, Apni Party and last but not the least Jailed Member Parliament Er Rashid’s Awami Itehad have plunged into active campaign, apart from the promise of bringing back Article 370 and Statehood, electricity is the major poll plank in Kashmir at least if not in Jammu region.

What is attracting people towards regional parties is the promise of free power.

National Conference in its manifesto has promised 200 units of free electricity while as Apni Party led by Syed Altaf Bukhari claims that it will give 300 units of free power to people in winters and 200 units in summers. Awami Itehad Party has gone to the extent of claiming that if voted to power it will bring back all the power projects given away to National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) by the previous regimes and the present one led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Of late, in the past two years, LG administration in J&K have tightened noose on the power thieves as the Kashmir Power Development Corporation (KPDCL) is imposed huge fines on those stealing the power through hooking where power lines are yet be replaced with cable wires. 

Figures accessed by the NVI suggest that the fine amount ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh depending upoun the load sanctioned and the nature of theft. In a series of official functions, LG Sinha has been maintaining that J&K was getting cheapest power in the country even as States like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and other States are getting power at much higher rates.

What is interesting to note is that is free power possible in J&K as claimed by the parties in their manifestos. Experts say that giving free power to people will put a burden of Rs 15000 on State exchequer annually. “We believe free power is not possible in J&K, a place which is grappling with the economic crisis despite Centre’s direct budget flow. One best alternative is to make power a bit cheaper rather than giving it free to people,” they said.

A senior journalist, covering power beat since long, said when parties like NC, PDP were in power, they couldn’t give free electricity then, how is it possible when they have to seek permission from the LG for every step, if they are voted to power. “Unless, J&K is a UT, free power is a distant dream,” he said. Recently, J&K LG said that the administration led by him has been able to re-pay whopping Rs 28000 power debt of J&K that was inherited by the previous regimes.

NC senior leader and former finance minister of erstwhile State of J&K, Abdur Rahim Rather told NVI that the manifesto has been framed after thorough consultations and feedback from experts. Asked is free electricity of 200 units possible. We have a vision and plan to fulfil whatever we have promised,” he said.(News Vibes of India)

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