Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced that over 2.81 lakh domestic consumers benefited from the first Power Amnesty Scheme, which offered relief on surcharge and interest accumulated up to March 31, 2022.
Responding to a question from legislator Tariq Hameed Karra, the Power Development Department (PDD) clarified that there is currently no proposal to extend a similar amnesty scheme to industrial unit holders for their electricity dues.
Under the first amnesty scheme, 1,64,729 consumers under the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and 1,17,237 consumers under the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) availed the benefits. The initiative helped realize ₹322 crore in revenue — ₹164 crore from JPDCL and ₹158 crore from KPDCL.
The department added that under the second ongoing Amnesty Scheme, which started on August 4, 2025, and will continue until March 31, 2026, a total of 18,854 consumers have benefited so far — 547 under JPDCL and 18,307 under KPDCL.
The PDD clarified that the amnesty schemes provide relief only on interest and surcharge, while the principal amount remains payable. It further noted that amnesty and disconnection are separate issues, emphasizing that power connections are disconnected only in cases of large arrears. “Connections are restored immediately after partial payment, with unpaid balances reflected in subsequent bills,” the department said.
