Minister Sakeena Itoo Calls for Reliable, Affordable Power Supply and Transparent Billing in Kulgam
SRINAGAR: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, and Education, Sakeena Itoo, today chaired a comprehensive review meeting at the Civil Secretariat to assess the electricity supply and distribution system in Kulgam district.
The meeting was attended by MD KPDCL Mehmood Shah; Special Secretary, Power Development Department; Chief Engineer KPDCL; SE KPDCL Bijbehara; Executive Engineer KPDCL Kulgam; all Assistant Executive Engineers of Kulgam; and other concerned officers.
During the meeting, the Minister conducted a detailed evaluation of ground-level challenges, the adequacy of power infrastructure, consumer grievances, and ongoing measures to enhance electricity services in the district.
Expressing concern over arbitrary and unjustified increases in electricity bills, particularly affecting low-income families, Minister Sakeena emphasized the need for reliable power supply, affordability, and transparency in billing. She directed the Chief Engineer KPDCL to conduct a district-wide load survey before any tariff revisions and asked the Executive Engineer to submit a detailed report on all load revisions carried out over the past three years.
The Minister further instructed officers to organize grievance camps in D.H Pora, Malwan, Khull, and other remote areas where disputes regarding power bills are most frequent. She called for stringent monitoring mechanisms to prevent any arbitrary increases in electricity charges and directed thorough audits of billing systems and load sanctions to ensure fairness and accuracy.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Minister Sakeena stressed that uninterrupted, affordable, and efficient electricity supply must reach every citizen, and any malpractice in billing or distribution would not be tolerated.
The Minister also reviewed the ongoing establishment of a 10 MVA Receiving Station at Manzgam, aimed at strengthening the district’s power infrastructure. She urged officers to ensure timely completion of the project, noting that it will fulfill a long-standing demand of local residents and significantly improve electricity availability and reliability in the area.
