Lashes out at abrupt power disconnections over unpaid bills
JK News Today
Srinagar, October 7: Former Cabinet Minister and Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir on Wednesday came down heavily on the government over its aggressive approach towards weaker sections of society, particularly its policy of disconnecting power supply at the source and refusing to restore it until the entire outstanding amount is paid in one go.
In his statement, Ghulam Hassan Mir said: Recovering electricity dues is absolutely justified and necessary, but that does not mean pushing poor and economically vulnerable people to the wall, making their lives miserable by abruptly disconnecting their power supply and refusing to restore it until they pay the entire outstanding amount in one go.
He went on to say, “Such a policy reflects the government’s hard-capitalist approach towards the people. The irony is that the government is displaying such cruel behaviour towards the very people who elected it with their votes, hoping that it would work for their welfare and ease their hardships.”
Mir further said, “The government must realise that electricity is an essential service, not a luxury that can be denied to struggling families as a means of forcing them into immediate payment of their bills.”
“Abrupt disconnections of power supply can have serious consequences. Students preparing for examinations are adversely affected, while some families have patients who depend on electricity-powered oxygen concentrators. One can only imagine the distress and hardship such families must endure when their power supply is suddenly disconnected,” he added.
Ghulam Hassan Mir said that those who can afford to pay their electricity bills but deliberately evade payment should certainly be dealt with in accordance with the law. However, consumers who are genuinely unable to clear their dues in one go should be given the option of paying their dues in instalments.
“The government must show empathy and sensitivity towards people facing genuine financial difficulties. After all, this is a welfare state, and the government is elected to work for the welfare and well-being of its people, not to adopt a harsh or purely commercial approach towards those who are struggling to make ends meet,” he added.
