Power pilferage: Locals stage protest against ‘harassment’ in the name of inspection
Srinagar, June 24, KNT: Locals from Brein Nishat in Srinagar outskirts Monday staged a protest accusing the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) of harassment in the name of ‘so-called’ inspection.
A large number of people mostly females hit to road and raised slogans against the Power Department. They alleged that AEE Sub-Division Dalgate has been unnecessarily harassing the consumers.
“During wee and late hours the inspection teams from the KPDCL enter our houses caring a fig for the privacy. Their unwanted presence makes us believe that we are thieves. In the name of stopping power theft, they harass everyone in the locality,” one of the protesters told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The protesters said that it has become routine for the KPDCL to defame people. “This department loves to humiliate people. They charge hefty bills even though we don’t get the power supply as per requirement,” the protesters said.
Pertinently, KPDCL faced backlash for publicly identifying consumers engaged in illegal practices like hooking, meter bypass, and surpassing agreed load limits in Kashmir Valley, particularly in Srinagar city.
When contacted an official said that inspection is being conducted everywhere to stop the power theft. He said thousands of consumers have been fined so far and the inspection will continue till people stop power pilferage. [KNT]
