Omar Abdullah Signals Extension of J&K Electricity Bill Amnesty Scheme

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Jammu and Kashmir Government was working to extend the electricity bill amnesty scheme, while stressing that any extension should not disadvantage consumers who have consistently paid their dues.Speaking in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Omar said the government was making efforts to continue the amnesty for consumers who genuinely qualify for the relief.He said withholding the benefit from eligible consumers would be unjust, but extending the scheme also raised concerns for those who had regularly cleared their electricity bills.“We are trying to extend the amnesty,” Omar said, adding that encouraging consumers to delay payments in anticipation of future power bill relief could leave regular bill payers questioning why they should continue paying on time.The Chief Minister said the government was examining the matter with the objective of extending relief to consumers who genuinely need it without penalising those who have consistently paid their dues.He said the J&K electricity amnesty scheme was being considered with the aim of striking a balance between providing relief to eligible consumers and maintaining fairness towards regular bill payers.