Omar Abdullah Defends Jammu and Kashmir Electricity Tariff Hike

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defended a 6.83 per cent increase in retail electricity tariffs in Jammu and Kashmir, describing the move as a government compulsion. The hike, ordered by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, is scheduled to take effect on September 1. Abdullah stated the increase was minimal and followed a four-year gap, while maintaining that the government remains committed to providing 200 units of free electricity to eligible households through solar panels.

Opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party, the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, and the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, staged protests in Srinagar and Jammu to oppose the decision. In Srinagar, police blocked PDP supporters near the General Post Office and Apni Party members at the Press Enclave from marching toward Residency Road and the main road.

Protesting parties characterized the tariff hike as an unjust burden on households already struggling with the rising costs of essential commodities. The Apni Party specifically demanded a rollback and urged the National Conference-led government to honor its promise of providing 200 free electricity units to every household monthly.