ibn sultan
Srinagar, Dec 30 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed strong displeasure over persistent criticism surrounding electricity bills, smart meters and power supply, asserting that the real cause of system failures lies in underreporting of actual power consumption and widespread misuse of electricity.
Addressing a press conference at the ski resort Gulmarg, where he inaugurated several development projects, the Chief Minister said the power infrastructure was being overstretched due to dishonest disclosure of electricity load by consumers.
“When agreements are made, people show a requirement of four bulbs, but after that, they start using ten heaters. Naturally, the system will collapse,” Omar Abdullah said, visibly angry while responding to questions on the power situation.
He stressed that the government was not opposed to supplying electricity according to demand, but said transparency was essential. “Reveal your load honestly. Based on that, we will install transformers, and those transformers will not get damaged,” he said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that transformer failures and frequent outages were largely absent in areas where smart meters had been installed. “Overloading on transformers is not happening where meters are in place. System failure is clearly visible in areas where agreements are made on false load declarations,” he added.
Omar Abdullah also flagged serious financial implications, stating that the power department was operating under heavy losses. “We are unable to supply as much electricity as people need because we do not get the revenue for the electricity that is actually being consumed. We are running at a loss,” he said.
He maintained that smart metering was aimed at stabilising the power system, ensuring fair billing, and improving supply rather than harassing consumers. The Chief Minister reiterated that without realistic load assessment and revenue recovery, sustaining an uninterrupted power supply during harsh winters would remain a challenge. [KNT]
