J&K Govt Opposes Proposed 20% Peak-Hour Power Surcharge, Calls Move “Unfair and Ill-Timed”

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday strongly opposed the proposed 20% peak-hour surcharge on electricity, terming the measure “unfair and ill-timed.”

NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq, in a post on X quoted by a news agency, said that electricity is a basic necessity and not a luxury, stressing that the administration will not allow people of Jammu and Kashmir to be burdened by such a hike.

The proposal, floated by the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL), has drawn widespread criticism from several political parties, including the Apni Party, Peoples Conference, and Peoples Democratic Party.

PDP leader Waheed ur Rehman Parra also voiced concern on X, stating that the government must conduct a thorough ground assessment before increasing power tariffs. He noted that while affluent households may not feel the impact, winter is a struggle for survival for ordinary Kashmiris.

“In Kashmir, electricity is not a luxury, it is life support. At a time when families are already struggling, raising tariffs on the poor and middle class will be cruel and catastrophic. Policies that ignore human suffering have no place in a just administration,” Parra said.