Srinagar Apr 04: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Tuesday said that a series of tariff hikes on utility services have deepened the strife of people.

Expressing concern over hike in water tariff by the administration, Sagar said that the government is making a fortune out of energy generated from Jammu and Kashmir water resources but the inhabitants shall pay through their nose for every drop of water they drink or use in daily life. “There appears to be no end to such arbitrary increase. The deplorable condition of the middle and downtrodden classes is not being taken into consideration before issuing such diktats.”

Before coming up with such arbitrary hike in water tariff, the administration should have taken into account the prevailing economic condition of our people, Sagar said adding, “Highly disheartening to see that, on one hand, the price rise is breaking the backs of citizens of India, and on the other government is coming up with everyday tariff hikes. It’s the height of insensitivity. There are no earnings and much of what people earn is eaten away by inflationary pull. The employment ratio in the region is thrice the national average. Businesses are down, artisans are starving. Is the government running a tax extortion racket? There is no public scrutiny of such an arbitrary tax hike.”

Seeking a decadal moratorium on tax on water charges, Sagar said, “Government is not doing enough to resolve the water crisis which is going from bad to worse for the last few years. People get tap water only for a few hours during night hours in many urban areas, it’s anyone’s guess what the situation would be in the rural areas. People are running from pillar to post to bring their plight into the notice of concerned officials but nobody is paying heed to their repeated pleas.”