Srinagar, August 25: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the recent increase in electricity tariffs, describing it as a compulsion rather than a choice.
The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved a 6.83 per cent hike in power tariffs, with the revised rates scheduled to come into effect from September 1.
Omar Abdullah said the government had not promised that electricity tariffs would never be increased. He maintained that the administration had kept the increase as low as possible despite rising costs and financial pressures in the power sector.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Power portfolio, said the tariff increase would not affect the government’s commitment to provide 200 units of free electricity to eligible poor and needy consumers.
He said the free electricity commitment would be implemented through a solar scheme and maintained that there was no connection between the tariff revision and the government’s free-power initiative.
Omar also stressed that the government was not happy about increasing electricity rates and said the need for such measures could be reduced by bringing down power losses and improving efficiency in the sector.
The tariff hike has faced criticism from opposition parties and sections of the public. The government, however, has maintained that the revision was necessary to address the financial challenges facing the power sector.
