The J&K administration was on the receiving end of criticism over some unverified reports, accusing of steep hike in electricity tariff amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many WhatsApp messages and local mischief-mongers are spreading fake rumours about hike in electricity tariffs in J&K. But here's the truth about it all.
The claim
Many people on social media and WhatsApp circulated messages that electricity tariffs have been sharply hiked in J&K, criticising the government for such a move. Adding fuel to the fire, Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir corroborated those claims when he decided to bring up the matter of power tariff hike to the attention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and other officers. He stressed that the people of J&K had been suffering from a distressed economic situation and a steep hike on power tariffs is unbearable.
"Today morning, I received various reports from Gulmarg constituency wherein consumers have been dispatched with the bills showing manifold increase in their normal electricity dues. This is totally an unwarranted decision that has been taken by the power department without taking the sufferings of the people into consideration," Mir was quoted as saying by KNS Kashmir.
Following this, the circulation of messages regarding power tariff hike in J&K gained momentum.
Fact check
International Business Times reviewed many claims on social media and on WhatsApp, where it is being claimed that the J&K administration has hiked the electricity tariff in the valley. After seeking clarification from the administration, it has been cleared that no such decision was taken or passed down by the administration.
The KPDCL set the record straight after noticing the vitality of the messages and issued a clarification statement to debunk the rumours. It said that the consumers are being billed based on their actual consumption, contrary to claims. The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh, which solely has the authority to revise consumer tariff, did not issue a notification regarding a new tariff slab nor revised tariffs as claimed by many. As some reports claimed that Kashmir DISCOM hiked the tariffs, it is further clarified that DISCOM has no such authority.
"Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) today contested reports appearing in a section of Media about revision in the electricity tariff saying that no revision of tariff, whatsoever, has been carried out in Jammu & Kashmir," the KPDCL said in a statement.
In fact, the KPDCL added that in the last four years, there haven't been any hikes in electricity tariffs in the valley.
IBTimes, after reviewing the official statements, has arrived at the conclusion that reports about electricity tariffs in J&K are completely false and baseless.
