Jammu & Kashmir

PDD shocks residents with exorbitant Dec power bills up to 4,500 in Srinagar areas

smart meters
Smart meters installed on an electric pole in Srinagar. [FPK Photo/ Kaisar Ali]

Officials say it’s hooking chalan, locals say have cables installed since 4 months, how come hooking is possible? inhabitants seek Chief Engineer Kashmir, AEE Pantha Chowk’s intervention, appeal LG Sinha to end disparity

Srinagar: The Power Development Department (PDD) Kashmir has come up with a monthly shocker for the residents as power bills ranging from Rs 3500 to Rs 4500 have been shot to consumers for the month of December.

Irate locals of Zacran Colony and Pantha Chowk areas of Srinagar said that they were surprised to see the exaggerated bills of December month.

“We checked the bills online and it shows Rs 2,760 as the opening balance and 1,048 as the the bill and in total the December bill has been showed as Rs 3808. We were the first to see installation of cables and there is no chance of hooking, ” said Adil Bashir, resident of Zafran Colony. “This is total injustice with us as I can’t afford to pay Rs 4000 power bill monthly when I haven’t used electricity upto this amount. ”

For Lateef Ahmed, another consumer, December bill is Rs 3500. “This is for the first time I have received the bill that shows Rs 3500 outstanding. Units consumed shows 318 but bill is Rs 3500,” Lateef said and sought the immediate attention of PDD Chief Engineer and AEE Pantha Chowk.

Similarly, hundreds of consumers narrated the same tale. “We can see the opening of Rs 2760 shown to all consumers, reasons best known to PDD officials, ” said Sajad Ahmed, another frustrated consumer.

Pertinently, Zafran Colony is fully metered and cabling stands done four months ago while it’s adjoining area Achanambal is metered buy cabling is yet to be done. “We urge PDD department to clear the confusion and end disparity. We request AEE Pantha Chowk and Chief Engineer PDD Kashmir to clear what this “opening balance” amount was all about?” asked elderly Ghulam Qadir.

The locals of Zafran Colony also appealed LG Manoj Sinha to intervene and direct the PDD officials to end the disparity. “How is hooking possible when there proper cables in our area,” they asked.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by FPK staff and is published from a syndicated feed from KNO)

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