Congress protest against installation of smart meters

Installation of smart meters nothing short of a catastrophe for people: Bhalla

Jammu,  August 18, 2023:- JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla accompanied by Yogesh Sawhney,  Kanta Bhan, Kuldeep Raj Verma,  Pranav Shagotra today led strong protest organized by Th. Manmohan Singh to express their opposition to the installation of smart meters, citing concerns about their ability to afford the increased tariffs based on smart meter readings. 

Protesters denounced the unilateral and unnecessary actions of the Jammu Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JKPDCL) in installing the meters. 

Prominent among those present on the occasion include S/Shri Dewarka Choudhary, Prem Singh,  Balbir Kumar, Rajinder Singh Randhawa, Padamdev Singh, Vijay Shastri, Uttam Singh,  Rajesh Sharma, Vijay Malhotra, Pawan Dev Singh, Kewal Krishan Yogi, Dr Ramankant Khajuria, Rakesh Kr Menia, Anoop Mahajan, Hoshiar Singh, Atul Sharma,  Chander Shekhar Sharma Dimpa Singh, Rajesh Kumar,  besides others.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla voiced the frustration of many by stating, “People of Jammu have been diligently paying their electricity bills, but suddenly they appeared out of nowhere, cutting off the power supply and installing these meters. They are not financially capable of paying the tariffs based on meter readings. We are not against the idea, but shouldn’t the authorities consider the people’s ability to pay?” He claimed that people from the unprivileged section wouldn’t be able to make their both ends meet if they spend their earnings on power bills.

Bhalla condemned the move as “sheer injustice” inflicted upon the people. “This is nothing short of high-handedness. They are already grappling with numerous challenges, and this will only make their lives more difficult,” he remarked. “The Government is making them face hardships. Many work tirelessly in the private sector to earn their livelihoods, yet the Government fails to consider their hardships. The installation of smart meters is nothing short of a catastrophe for them,” asserted Bhalla.He further lamented the lack of employment opportunities for educated youth while burdening the poor. He emphasized the pressing need for authorities to address their grievances and take their concerns into serious consideration.

Bhalla said BJP Govt has set the poor man’s Kitchen on fire with prices of wheat flour, edible oil, pulses, vegetables and fruits are skyrocketing. While the common people are in acute distress, the Govt is in ecstasy after pushing the prices of essential commodities from tomato to petrol beyond reach,” Bhalla said. Castigating the sycophants of the Govt for not telling it the truth about savagely rising prices and peaking unemployment, Bhalla said  “while the budgets of middle-class households have derailed, the poor cannot afford the basic food for sustenance. Tomato, which was selling for Rs 10-15 a kg, has shot up to Rs 200-150; even green chillies and lemons have gone beyond the common man’s reach.  

Bhalla added “pulses selling at Rs 75 a kg a few years ago are now available at Rs 170. Rice, spices, milk, tea, biscuits and oil have become costlier. The cooking gas cylinder costing Rs 1,170 has broken the poor’s backbone. The Congress governments are helping them by making it available for Rs 500.”Bhalla contended that the government could have substantially cut down the LPG, petrol and diesel prices as the average price of crude available in the international market is $65 a barrel, which is almost half of what the Manmohan Singh government was saddled with.“It doesn’t make a difference to Govt if the poor are struggling for survival because the rich are making huge profits,” he said.

Yogesh Sawhney speaking on the occasion pointed out, the government has continuously implemented anti-people measures, as if seeking revenge from the people. “Instead of providing relief to the people, the government keeps imposing unjust measures one after another,” he lamented.He further warned that the government’s actions were testing the patience of the people in J&K, and that continued such measures would be met with strong resistance.“They  are already suffering from previous anti-people measures, and they will not accept this new measure as it directly impacts the survival of their families,” Sawhney said.He said after installation of smart meters, people are getting bills in thousands of rupees. He asserted that they were against the current approach to installing prepaid smart meters due to the burden of hefty bills on households where these meters had been implemented.

Th. Manmohan Singh voiced his worries about the financial implications of the smart meters, fearing that they would further burden households already facing difficulties. “Most of the people here are poor and cannot afford hefty bills. They would rather face dire consequences if they are forced to pay as per installed smart meters,” he said.He expressed their distress over the Government’s decision to install smart meters at a time when the prices of essential commodities were soaring. “They cannot bear the financial burden that will come with these smart meters. Their income is meager, as the majority of people in our area work as salespersons, laborers, or street vendors. They can barely afford their children’s school fees,” explained Singh.