Political parties slam peak-hour electricity hike proposal

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Government’s proposal to impose a 20 percent surcharge on electricity consumption during peak hours has drawn sharp criticism from political parties.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari described the proposal as a “grave injustice” to the people of Kashmir.

“KPDCL’s proposal to impose a 20% surcharge on power tariffs during peak hours is a grave injustice to people who are already struggling to survive an economic crisis. Most of our population depends on tourism and horticulture—sectors that have suffered massive losses this year. Other businesses are also in decline. In such times, increasing electricity charges for mornings and evenings—when families rely on power the most in freezing cold—cannot be justified,” he wr