Pattan, Jun 17 (KNO): Residents of Palhallan Ghat in Pattan on Tuesday staged a protest against the installation of smart electricity meters in the area, voicing strong concerns over unaffordable power bills and the impact on their livelihoods.
The demonstrators, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), gathered to demand an immediate halt to the ongoing installation process. Raising slogans, they urged the authorities to take their financial condition into account before pushing forward. “We are poor people and belong to the daily labour class. Our men hardly earn Rs 500 a day, how can we pay these huge bills?” said one of the protesters. “We have no other source of income. The only option left for us will be to withdraw our children from school just to manage power bills".
Urging the government to ensure justice, the protesters said that the move could deepen their economic hardships and disrupt basic rights such as education and access to essential services.
They appealed to the concerned authorities to revisit the decision and explore affordable solutions before proceeding further—(KNO)