SRINAGAR: Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Thursday strongly opposed the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited’s (KPDCL) proposal to impose a 20 per cent surcharge on electricity consumed during peak hours, calling the plan “a grave injustice” to people already grappling with economic distress.
In a post on X, Bukhari said the Valley’s economy—heavily dependent on tourism and horticulture—has suffered significant setbacks this year, leaving households and businesses in a fragile financial state. “Most of our population depends on tourism and horticulture—sectors that have suffered massive losses this year. Other businesses are also in decline,” he wrote.
He argued that introducing higher tariffs for morning and evening hours, when families rely on electricity the most during the harsh winter cold, was neither practical nor humane. “Increasing electricity charges for mornings and evenings… cannot be justified,” Bukhari said.
Urging the administration to reconsider the proposal, the Apni Party chief emphasised that the government has a responsibility to protect citizens from additional financial burdens amid an already challenging period. “The government has a moral duty to consider people’s economic hardships before even thinking of enforcing such a harsh measure,” he said.
With severe winter days approaching, Bukhari appealed to authorities to “show some mercy to people who are already burdened and suffering.”
