Srinagar: Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) demands the Government to freeze the plans for power tariff hike for Industrial units of Kashmir.
FCIK President Shahid Kamili said that unit holders are trying hard to put their units back in track after so many years. The tariff hike move will prove detrimental to the interests of Kashmir Industry,
“The seriousness of the Government to see revival of industries in Kashmir and power tariff hike don’t go well together. It is like putting brakes on the joint revival efforts of theGovt and unit holders,” he said.
FCIK has opposed themove of KPDCL which will hinder the revival of ailing Kashmir industry. FCIK sought intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary A K Mehta, additional Chief Secretary Industries, and Principal Secretary Power in securing the interests of the Kashmiri industry. We demand the role of LG, CS and PS to LG in taking concrete steps for revival of industry. We seek their intervention in freezing the plans of KPDCL to hike the power tariff of unit holders,” President Kamili said.
FCIK Secretary General Ovees Qadir Jamie said that the KPDCL failure to cover Tranmission&Distribution loses has been burdened now to the consumers and they are coveringtheir failure by increase in the Tariff. The last three years the Transmission Losses was 50 to 52% as per the Petition and which is projected at 43.77% for the FY 2022-23. He said that FCIK strongly condemned the Petition filled by the KPDCL to JERC for Power tariff increase. As the petition has an increase in Demand charges & consumption charges for Industrial sector to the unacceptable levels and is touching upto 40% in some Industrial consumption categories which the highest among tariff category as per petition submitted to JERC.
FCIK asked the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission to keep the ailing nature of Kashmir Industry in consideration before approving the power hike proposal of KPDCL for Industrial Unit holders.The industrialsector is already battling pesky & unscheduled power cuts which is taking a toll on the financial health of unit holders.

KR Desk