Srinagar: PDP senior leader and spokesperson Iqbal Tramboo has urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to announce a comprehensive power amnesty scheme for domestic and commercial consumers, seeking a minimum one-year relief period, waiver of accumulated penalties and surcharges, and a liberal instalment facility for clearing pending electricity dues.
In a statement, Tramboo said the growing burden of electricity arrears was causing financial distress among households, traders and business establishments, and called for a consumer-friendly policy to help people regularise their dues without further hardship.
He stressed that the proposed amnesty should cover both domestic and commercial consumers without discrimination, arguing that shopkeepers, traders and small business owners were equally affected by rising costs and mounting liabilities.
“Electricity is an essential service, not a luxury. People cannot be pushed against the wall in the name of revenue recovery,” Tramboo said, urging the government to prioritise public relief amid mounting household expenses and business challenges.
He said the proposed scheme should provide substantial relief on accumulated penalties and surcharges, sufficient time to clear outstanding principal dues, and an affordable instalment mechanism for consumers unable to pay their arrears in a single payment.
The PDP spokesperson also called for an end to coercive recovery measures and disconnection threats, stating that these could not replace a practical and accessible relief policy.
Tramboo urged the government to announce a clear, time-bound decision on the proposed amnesty and direct the concerned power authorities to establish a transparent mechanism for its implementation across Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the relief package should extend to every eligible household, shopkeeper and commercial establishment, adding that the government needed to take immediate steps to address the financial burden of accumulated electricity dues.
