Tral: Residents of Tral area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday staged a protest demonstration against the Power Development Department (PDD) for hiking electricity bills in the Subdivision Tral areas.
The protest call was given jointly by the Citizens Council Tral and Traders Federation Tral.
Eyewitnesses told Kashmir Reader that scores of people under the banner of Citizens Council Tral led its Chairman Farooq Ahmad Tral assembled at main Chowk Tral and held anti-PDD protests against hike in power tariff.
The protesters chanted slogans against the Power Development Department (PDD) for hike of electricity bills.
The protesters demanded immediate revocation of the electricity bills. They appealed to authorities to look into the matter.
Chairman citizens Council Tral, Farooq Ahmad Tral told Kashmir Reader that the protest was held for unjustified increase in power tariff.
“The authorities inflated bills after enhancing consumption load without carrying out any survey,” he said, adding that some bills were hiked from rupees 500 a month to rupees 700 and others from 700 to 100.
“This increase is unacceptable to us and we will not pay them unless the power development department enters into an agreement with us that they will provide us uninterrupted power supply as per schedule,” he said.
The Citizens Council Tral Chairman Farooq Tral gave an ultimatum to PDD authorities for rolling it back within seven days or they will again hit the streets.
The residents also showed resentment against PDD officials for entering into homes for searches without permission from competent authorities.
The complaints of inflated bills have also been received from residents of Saffron town Pampore, Newa, Wahibugh , Looswani and other villages of Pulwama district.

BILAL HABIB