Shopian: Though his house does not even have a power supply connection, this Shopian man is receiving electricity bills of nearly one-and-a-half lakh rupees every month.
Hashmat Kalas, a resident of Mukami-Dunaroo in Keller belt of district Shopian, told Kashmir Reader that he is receiving these electricity bills every month despite the fact that there is no electricity supply to his entire locality.
“We are eight households in this Mohala which is isolated from the rest of the village. Neither the government has provided us electricity services nor am I using their services, but even after that the government sends me bills every month,” Hashmat Kalas told Kashmir Reader.
He said that his family comprises 12 members whose sole livelihood is daily wages.
“We have four kanals of land but it’s not orchard land. It doesn’t even fetch us money for a month’s expenses,” he said.
Kalas informed that the recent bill he received from the power development department was of Rs 1,41,692. “I request the deputy commissioner Shopian and district head of the power department to look into my problem. These bills has given us sleepless nights,” he added.
Executive Engineer, Power Development Department, Irshad Hussain Choudhary didn’t respond to repeated phone calls from this reporter.

Raashid Hassan