The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday defended the Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to raise electricity tariffs, describing the hike as a "compulsion" necessitated by mounting losses in the power sector, while pointing to higher tariff increases approved during previous governments.

Abdullah was reacting to criticism over the 6.83 per cent average tariff increase approved by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), which will come into effect from September 1.

The Chief Minister said the government had increased electricity rates by only around six per cent after four years and argued that the rise was necessary in view of the increase in the cost of oil and other commodities, as well as the financial losses being incurred in the power sector.

"We increased the rate of electricity by only 6 per cent. That too after four years," Abdullah said, adding that the government had increased the tariff "as much as we could" while keeping the burden limited.

He also hit back at critics, saying previous governments had increased electricity rates by more than 14 per cent, and that a 15 per cent tariff increase had been approved four years ago.

"This was our compulsion. We are not celebrating by increasing the rate of electricity," he said.

On the free-electricity promise

On the National Conference's election promise of 200 units of free electricity, Abdullah said the promise was aimed at providing free electricity to the poorest people and had no connection with the tariff revision.

"The rates of electricity won't increase. We said that we will give 200 units to the poorest people for free. There is no connection between the price of electricity and this scheme. We will continue to provide free electricity to people," he said.

The government had earlier announced a scheme for providing 200 units of free electricity to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, linked with the PM Surya Ghar initiative.

Outstanding government dues

The Chief Minister's justification based on power-sector losses comes against the backdrop of a substantial amount of unpaid electricity dues owed by government departments, public sector undertakings and security establishments.

According to figures placed before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly by Abdullah in April, total outstanding electricity dues stood at ₹3,747.35 crore, with ₹2,310.22 crore pending with KPDCL and ₹1,437.13 crore with JPDCL.

Among the major defaulters were the Public Health Engineering Department, with dues of around ₹1,300 crore; the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, with over ₹580 crore; the CRPF, with around ₹296 crore; the Army, with around ₹197 crore; and the BSF, with over ₹11 crore.

The Home Department had outstanding dues of over ₹223 crore, while municipal bodies collectively owed more than ₹241 crore. Even the Power Development Department itself had outstanding electricity dues of more than ₹107 crore.

New tariff structure

The revised tariff also applies to government departments. Under the new tariff structure, government departments using LT metered supply will be charged ₹8.30 per kVAh, along with applicable fixed charges.

For ordinary metered domestic consumers, the revised energy charge will be ₹2.45 per unit up to 200 units, ₹4.20 for 201–400 units and ₹4.60 above 400 units, with the fixed charge rising to ₹10 per kW per month.

The new rates will remain applicable from September 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, unless modified or extended by JERC.

According to the news agency KNT, the government has argued that the tariff revision is necessary to narrow the gap between the cost of supplying electricity and revenue realisation.

JERC has approved a combined Annual Revenue Requirement of ₹10,275.72 crore for JPDCL and KPDCL for 2026–27, while the utilities had projected a substantial revenue gap. The Commission has also relied on government subsidy and grant support to prevent the entire revenue gap from being passed on to consumers through tariffs.

The Chief Minister's defence comes amid growing political opposition to the tariff revision, with the PDP, Apni Party and other political groups holding protests in Srinagar against the increase.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), the constitutional body responsible for recruitment to gazetted posts and several other key personnel functions, is facing a serious institutional vacuum following the retirement of its Chairman, Arun Kumar Choudhary, and continued vacancies in the Commission.

Choudhary, who was appointed Chairman in February 2024, attained the age of 62 earlier this month, bringing his tenure to an end. The Commission's official website now lists only Dr Rajiv Singh and Asaf Mehmood Sagar as serving members.

The situation has raised concern among aspirants awaiting recruitment at different stages, particularly at a time when a substantial number of selections remain pending before the Commission.

Recruitment backlog

According to information obtained through an RTI application, 1,455 posts notified by JKPSC between August 2019 and August 2025 were still awaiting completion of the selection process. The pending positions include 594 lecturer posts in the School Education Department, 90 posts under the Combined Competitive Examination-2024, and 118 Assistant Professor posts in government medical colleges.

The backlog is significant because JKPSC is entrusted with recruitment to a wide range of gazetted positions, including administrative, engineering, medical, teaching and other professional posts, besides conducting competitive examinations and selection processes.

The Commission also plays a role in conducting interviews where prescribed under recruitment rules, preparing selection lists, making recommendations for appointments, participating in Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) proceedings, and advising the government on recruitment, promotion and service-related issues.

Quorum concerns

The present shortage of members is particularly significant because the JKPSC Business and Procedure Rules, 2021, prescribe a quorum for meetings empowered to take decisions on recruitment processes and DPC matters. The rules have previously been cited in connection with situations where inadequate membership affected the Commission's ability to transact business.

The Commission has a sanctioned strength of a Chairman and eight members. In June 2024, the government appointed three members — Dr Rajiv Singh, Tariq Ahmad Zargar and Yashpal Kotwal — after the Commission had faced a prolonged shortage of members. Of those appointed in 2024, Zargar subsequently moved out of the Commission and took charge as Director of Information and Public Relations, while the Commission's present website lists only Singh and Sagar as members.

The current situation echoes past institutional difficulties faced by JKPSC when vacancies among its Chairman and members affected its ability to transact recruitment and promotion-related business. In 2022, the Commission similarly faced a situation in which its strength fell below the required quorum, with reports at the time warning that recruitment and DPC proceedings could be brought to a standstill.

Aspirants seek intervention

The latest developments have triggered concern among job aspirants, who told the news agency KNT that continued vacancies at the top of the Commission could further delay recruitment processes already pending at different stages.

Aspirants have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir to intervene and ensure the immediate appointment of a Chairman and sufficient members so that the Commission can function with the required quorum and take decisions on pending recruitment and promotion matters.

Recent performance

The concern comes despite the Commission having reported significant recruitment activity during 2025-26. Its 67th Annual Report, submitted to the Lieutenant Governor earlier this month, stated that JKPSC had made 1,152 selections against 1,263 posts referred to it during the year.

However, the existing recruitment backlog and the present shortage at the Commission's top level have renewed questions over the continuity of the recruitment process and the need for timely filling of constitutional vacancies.

Efforts to contact Chief Secretary Atul Daloo for comment did not materialise.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday termed fresh threats to Kashmiri Pandit employees "highly concerning" and directed security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to trace the source of the intimidation.

"The government should not be under threat, but the law and order, police and intelligence agencies should not take these things lightly," Abdullah told reporters, according to the news agency KNS.

"They should be fully aware of where these threats are coming from, and all of our employees should be kept safe. This is a very big responsibility of the police," he said.

The Chief Minister's remarks came amid reports of fresh threat posters circulating on social media, targeting Kashmiri Pandit employees working under the Prime Minister's Employment Package in the Valley.

Recalling the targeted killings of minority community members in the past, Abdullah said the administration must act proactively to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

"Four years ago, some Pandit employees were targeted and we had to face a lot of loss," he said.

Asserting that the issue was not his government's "direct responsibility," the Chief Minister said the matter falls under the purview of the Lieutenant Governor's administration.

"This is not our direct responsibility. This is the responsibility of the Honourable LG. My only advice to the law and order administration is that this should not be taken lightly. There should be a thorough investigation into this," he said.