Omar Abdullah's National Conference came to power promising relief on household electricity bills.
Srinagar, Aug. 24: Mudasir Yaqoob
Nearly two years later, the promise has been narrowed to a specific category of consumers, implementation has been tied to installation of smart meters, and a new tariff regime will raise electricity charges from 1 September 2026.
Apni Party and Peoples Democratic Party held separate protests on Monday to oppose the move, demanding withdrawal of approval.
The National Conference had promised 200 units of free electricity in its 2024 Assembly election manifesto. The original promise was presented as a broad relief measure for consumers.
The government has since moved towards implementing the benefit for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, rather than all consumers. The scheme has also been linked to metering so that actual consumption can be verified.
That has created a political problem for the Omar Abdullah government.
The opposition argues that a promise of free electricity has effectively become a targeted benefit, while ordinary consumers are now facing higher tariffs.
The average tariff increase approved by the electricity regulator is 6.83 per cent. However, this does not mean every household bill will rise by exactly 6.83 per cent. The actual increase will depend on consumption and sanctioned load.
For consumers, however, the political question remains straightforward: where is the promised 200 units of free power?
The September electricity bill may therefore become more than just a monthly expense—it could become a fresh political test for the Omar Abdullah government.
There social media is abuzz with nietizens expressing anger. “Literally, the free 200-unit promise has been buried by National Conference government. The party has history to bury its own slogans be it plebiscite or autonomy. NC repeats history itself,” wrote Abid Ahmad on his social media giant Facebook.
