Kashmir committee stands firm on power supply at generation cost

RAWALAKOT: The Jammu Kashmir Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has rejected the Azad Kashmir (AJK) government’s offer of 50 per cent decrease in electricity price per unit, demanding power as per hydropower generation cost, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Sources told ARY News that the government has proposed to decrease electricity price by 50pc per unit – an offer declined by the Kashmir action committee.

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The committee demanded that electricity should be provided to consumers in accordance with the production cost of hydel power in AJK.

Meanwhile, the government is also preparing to provide subsidies on flour prices. However, the Public Action Committee has announced a long march from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad, rejecting the government’s stance on the issue.

The protesters will spend the night in Kotli during the long march. In a statement, committee member Umar Nazeer said that the government wasn’t serious about the demands.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Sunday accepted all demands of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) following negotiations held between JAAC delegation and territory’s Chief Secretary at residence of Rawalakot Commissioner.

Sources claimed that the government has also accepted committee’s demand to provide subsidy on flour and withdraw increase in electricity bills.

Azad Kashmir witnessed violent clashes between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, which left at least one police official dead and several others injured.

Sub-inspector Adnan Qureshi succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the town of Islamgarh, where he was deployed to stop a rally for Muzaffarabad under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

The JAAC, which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the state, has been seeking the provision of electricity as per hydropower generation cost in AJK, subsidised wheat flour and an end to the privileges of the elite class.

The violent protesters damaged multiple vehicles, including a magistrate’s car at the Poonch-Kotli road. Moreover, markets, trade centres, offices and schools and restaurants remained closed across the AJK.