Anantnag, Aug 11: Residents of Mattan in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district held a silent protest under the banner of the Mattan Welfare Forum (MWF) against the newly introduced electricity curtailment schedule, which they said has resulted in prolonged power cuts in the area.
The PDD and KPDCL have issued a curtailment schedule of up to eight hours daily, citing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses of around 40 per cent in the area. However, members of the Mattan Welfare Forum rejected the claim, stating that the area is 100 per cent smart-metered and that consumers regularly pay their electricity bills through the smart-metering system.
MWF Chairman Ashok Kumar Sidha said that if losses exist in the area, it is the responsibility of the concerned department to address them. He alleged that several government establishments in Mattan have become defaulters, contributing to losses in the power sector.
Sidha said that instead of recovering pending dues from government departments, the PDD has introduced a new curtailment schedule of eight to 10 hours daily, which he termed a “sheer injustice” to consumers who regularly pay their electricity bills.
MWF President Sajad Ahmad Ganai, along with other residents of Mattan Town, said the historical importance of Mattan had been ignored while framing the new curtailment schedule.
Ganai said the people of Mattan have consistently supported reforms introduced by the power department and were among the early areas to welcome smart metering. He said residents should not be held responsible for losses allegedly arising from shortcomings in the power department and other government establishments.
Residents said the prolonged power curtailments have severely affected education, healthcare and business activities in the area.
The Mattan Welfare Forum has given the government an ultimatum until August 15 to revise the new curtailment schedule. The forum warned that failure to do so could lead to large-scale protests in Mattan and held the PDD and KPDCL responsible for any consequences arising from the escalation. (KDC)
