Srinagar: The National Conference government has made its U-turn on smart meter installation in Jammu and Kashmir, as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the government would achieve 100 per cent metering for uninterrupted power supply in the union territory.
“Meters are the best solution for uninterrupted electricity supply. The more meters we install, the less electricity curtailment people will face, and the government will be able to supply more electricity. I am hoping that as soon as we install 100 per cent metering and provide 24x7 electricity to the consumers, we will achieve 100 per cent metering,” he told reporters here.
The CM’s statement is a complete U-turn over his party NC’s stand on smart meters when it is not in power. “NC spokespersons would issue daily statements opposing the installation of smart meters in Jammu and Kashmir. However, now it is completely backtracking,” said Aijaz Ahmad, a Srinagar resident.
When the exercise of installing meters began in the region, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) and Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JDCL) faced stiff opposition from people, and every day there were protests in Srinagar, Jammu, and other towns.
CM Omar was reacting to the complaints of power outages in the Valley amid the freezing winter. People are facing unscheduled power cuts amid sub-zero temperatures. “There will always be complaints about power outages. Unscheduled cuts happen because the (power) system is under a lot of pressure. The reality is that some consumers have an agreement for four bulbs but use four heaters. We prepare our system as per the agreement, but the power used is for four heaters,” he said.
NC's alliance partner Congress had also opposed the installation of smart meters. Former J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool would say that when Congress comes into power, it will remove all smart meters and “throw them into the Tawi and Jhelum rivers.”
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Media Head Syed Tajamul said that the government was making a U-turn on all the promises it made in the manifesto before the elections. “The government has promised 200 units of free electricity to people if it wins elections. Now the NC has got a full majority, but it is not implementing any promises. The chief minister's statement on smart meters is among the many decisions on which the NC-led government will detract,” Tajamul told ETV Bharat.
He said that the PDP is not opposed to improving infrastructure, but it should not come “at the cost of the people's livelihood.”.
Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) spokesperson Firdous Baba said the NC government should speak about the return of power projects that it had “handed over” to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) rather than “burdening people with smart meters.”.
To improve electricity supply, the KPDCL has said that it has installed 6 lakh smart meters, and by 2026 it will complete the exercise of 100 per cent smart metering in Jammu and Kashmir.
