The proposed hike in power tariffs—especially during peak winter hours in Kashmir—is not just unjustifiable, it is an outright assault on people already pushed to the edge. Calling this move “opportunistic” is an understatement. It exposes a mindset that sees public misery as a chance to profit. The people of Jammu and Kashmir did not hand the JKNC a massive mandate so it could reward them with deeper economic wounds.
In a UT crippled by 32 percent unemployment, where tourism and horticulture—our backbone sectors—are barely breathing, imposing a tariff hike is nothing short of punishing an already battered population. It is a declaration that incompetence is now official policy.
Across the world, governments facing energy crises innovate and protect their people. Here, our governments have done the opposite—taking the laziest path: squeeze the public. No innovation, no planning, no effort—just tariffs, fines, outsourcing agreements, and policies drafted by bureaucrats who have no clue what real households endure. Successive regimes have handed over our water resources without securing concessions for the very people who own them.
For years, Kashmiris were humiliated—branded as “power thieves,” their homes raided like militant hideouts. Then came the digital meters, sold with the grand promise of uninterrupted power. That failed. Next came T&D losses—another excuse. Transformers were installed on a community basis after people paid from their own pockets, yet nothing improved. Every time a government blunders, the public is blamed. Every time a system collapses, people are told they must sacrifice more.
And now—prepaid meters. Pay first, get power later. Even that wasn’t enough. The government now wants to punish people for using electricity when they actually need it. A tariff hike during peak hours basically means: when winter hits hardest, electricity gets farthest away from you. Use it, and you’ll be financially penalised.
The truth is glaring: the people are not power thieves; the government is hiding behind lies. This is a crisis manufactured by decades of neglect, zero planning, and corrupt complacency. A massive demand-supply gap has been allowed to grow into a monster. Not one regime has had the courage, intelligence, or honesty to confront it.
And let’s be brutally honest—this won’t change. Not now. Not later. Because we don’t elect leadership for their competence or vision. We elect those who know how to charm us, manipulate us, and play on our sentiments. And they—cycle after cycle—reward our trust with failure.
Asem Mohiuddin is an Editor-in-Chief of The Legitimate
