Beerwah, Nov 21, KNT: Large number of women in Central Kashmir’s Beerwah staged fresh protest on Friday against the ongoing installation of smart electricity meters in the area. The demonstration drew a large gathering of locals who assembled in the main market to express what they described as rising hardships linked to escalating power bills.
Protesters raised slogans and demanded that the Power Development Department immediately halt the installation process. They said their repeated requests to the concerned authorities had gone unheard, leading to growing frustration among the inhabitants of the town.
Several women told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that their electricity bills had already seen a sharp rise over recent months. They said that introducing smart meters without addressing existing concerns would increase the financial burden on ordinary households that are struggling to manage essential expenses.
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One of the protesting women said that every month the bills were increasing and that people were finding it difficult to cope with the growing costs. She said the installation of smart meters would add to the pressure on families that are already facing economic challenges.
Another woman urged the administration to address basic civic needs before implementing measures that create further stress for the public. She said that while locals were not opposed to development, the introduction of smart meters was not in favour of low-income families in Beerwah.
Protesters appealed to the district administration to intervene at the earliest and suspend the installation drive until a proper solution is worked out. [KNT]
