Tarathpora Kupwara Residents Rue Steep Hike in Electricity Fees

Alfaaz – The Words Desk

Kupwara: In the shadow of the majestic mountains of north Kashmir, the residents of Tarathpora, Ramhall in Kupwara district are reeling under an overwhelming sense of despair amid steep hike in electricity fees.

The hike, deemed unaffordable by most villagers, has turned an essential utility into an unbearable burden.

Families who once hoped for a brighter future now sit in anguish, staring at bills they cannot pay. “We are poor people; we cannot afford such high fees,” lamented an elderly resident, her voice trembling with emotion. Her words echo the collective grief of a community where poverty is a harsh reality and relief seems a distant dream.

For villagers like Mohammad Ashraf, a farmer barely earning enough to feed his family, the hike feels like an unjust punishment. “What do they expect us to do? Should we stop feeding our children to keep the lights on? This is cruel,” he said, his voice breaking.

The struggles go beyond just numbers on a bill. Children now study by dim candlelight instead of electric bulbs, elderly parents shiver through cold nights without heaters, and mothers skip meals to save money.

These are not isolated stories but collective hardships that strike at the heart of this tight-knit community.

The villagers have turned to their leaders for help, issuing heartfelt appeals to the Executive Engineer Pdd, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, MLA Handwara, and even the Chief Minister.

However, the authorities’ silence has only deepened their despair.

“We have no one to turn to,” said another resident, tears underscoring the helplessness of a people who feel abandoned by those in power.

This electricity fee hike has illuminated not homes but the stark inequalities and hardships faced by rural communities.
It has laid bare the cruel irony of modern development bypassing the poorest while demanding more from them.

The residents’ plea is simple yet profound: reduce electricity fees to a manageable level. Their struggle is about more than affordability—it’s about dignity, hope, and survival.

As winter deepens in Kupwara, so does their heartbreak, with no relief in sight. The question now looms large: Will their cries for help be answered, or will Tarathpora remain a poignant tale of rural despair in the face of indifference?.