Local residents staged a protest against the installation of smart meters in the Bemina area of Srinagar.
Eyewitnesses told The KIF that on Monday morning, women in large numbers gathered on the Bemina road in the Srinagar area to protest the installation of smart electricity meters.
On one side, Kashmir is suffering immensely due to the unending power cuts despite the hot summer and on the other we fail to understand the purpose of these meters when the officials state that the meters will ensure that electricity will be provided uninterrupted, the locals said.
Protests have been staged across Kashmir against the installation of smart meters, however, Kashmir’s electricity department has said that it will not revoke the order for the installation of smart meters. In fact, the department has snapped electricity in several areas that staged protests against the installation of smart meters.
“We do not understand who these meters are being brought for when the local population has been opposing it right from day one. We cannot afford to pay the bills. We demand that the meters be withdrawn from our area,” a protester said. “We are not Government employees who are the only people in touch with the administration. We have limited sources of income, and we cannot pay extra charges for electricity,” said another female protester.
The locals appealed to the LG admin to intervene and uninstall all meters in Kashmir.
