Zaffer Iqbal
Uri, Mar 29 (GNS): Nearly three months after a devastating fire incident in Gharkot village of Uri, affected families continue to await substantial relief and rehabilitation from the administration, even as financial burdens including that of electricity bills persist.
The fire, which as per the locals, broke out on January 1, completely gutted the residential house of Muhammad Din Butt, son of Muhammad Yusuf Butt, and claimed the life of a four-year-old child. The blaze left three related families homeless, including those of Muhammad Din Butt and his sons, Mushtaq Ahmed Butt and Muhammad Akram Butt.
Since the incident, the families have been living in temporary shelters under difficult conditions.
According to family members, the immediate assistance extended by authorities was limited to some blankets and ration kits, with no significant rehabilitation or financial support provided thereafter.
Adding to their distress, the affected households allege that electricity bills continue to be issued in their name despite the destruction of their home.
A family member said that the property had been registered under two separate agreements, resulting in multiple bills being generated. “Last month, we received two electricity bills, one amounting to ₹25,000 and another ₹16,000. Officials advised us to pay ₹10,000 upfront, assuring that the remaining amount would be waived under an amnesty scheme. We complied, but no waiver has been granted so far,” he told GNS.
Similar grievances have emerged from other parts of Uri, where residents claim they were encouraged to settle a portion of their outstanding dues under the promise that the remaining amount would be written off. Several locals allege that the scheme was miscommunicated, leaving economically weaker sections further strained.
When contacted, a senior official from the Power Development Department (PDD) said that there appears to be a misunderstanding regarding the amnesty scheme. “The scheme provides for waiver of surcharge or interest components only, and not the principal billed amount,” he told GNS. (GNS)
