Srinagar, Nov 4 (HS): Residents across the Kashmir Valley say heavy monthly electricity bills are adding to the burden of rising prices, and many accuse the government of failing to deliver on its election promise of 200 units of free power. Several consumers told Hindusthan Samachar that the government had promised cheap electricity and 200 free units during the campaign, but they have seen neither the promise fulfilled nor any relief in their bills.

People said scheduled power cuts continue, even as bills run so high, even with little use of electrical appliances, that many consumers can no longer pay them. They are unhappy with the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

A family that moved to Kashmir from Delhi said it used to receive a zero bill in winter there. “When we were in Delhi, our winter electricity bill was zero, because 200 units are free there,” a member of the family said. “In the other seasons, the bill stayed low even with an AC running. Here, power is much costlier. Even without using appliances, we are getting bills of Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000.”

The family member added: “We don’t even know the rate per unit or how many units we consumed in a month. We are just handed a hefty bill. Everyone here seems to have downloaded an app that shows the daily bill. The bills are so high that people here could fall ill with stress.”

A labourer from Uttar Pradesh who lives in Srinagar said his bill here was several times what he paid back home. “The bill I get here is more than four times what I used to pay in Uttar Pradesh,” he said. “We assumed power would be cheap here because there is water everywhere, but it is not. Electricity is cheaper in Uttar Pradesh.”

A daily wager in a government department, who asked not to be named, said he struggles to cope on a monthly salary of Rs 9,000 with a family of six. “I can barely feed my family on this meagre pay. Where do I find Rs 3,000 for the electricity bill? It has become a huge worry,” he said. “I can’t pay my children’s school fees, and I have no money for medicines. How can I carry this extra burden?”

A group of residents said they were never given 200 free units. “Instead, power has been made so expensive that ordinary people cannot afford to use it,” one of them said. “In the Valley, people use more electricity to survive the biting cold. Water has to be heated, and appliances have to be run for warmth. Given this, the government should have kept power cheap, as it is in other states.”

Another resident said people form governments so that essential services are available at fair prices and every section of society can benefit. “That is not happening here,” he said. The residents urged the government to keep its promise on electricity so that ordinary people are not crushed under the weight of their difficulties.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Zahoor Hussain Bhat