The BJP demanded the TRS government withdraw the power tariff hike immediately and criticised the rise in unit rates saying it will only burden the middle class and the poor, already reeling under the debilitating impact of the COVID pandemic and economic distress.
President and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar said on Thursday that every section of the society will be adversely effected by the high power tariff and it will further have a cascading effect. The party has decided to take up protest programmes in all districts and these will continue till the order is withdrawn, he said in a statement.
The government’s failure to collect power dues from its own departments, not providing financial support and ensure every citizen pays the power bills promptly has led to this situation where the power distribution companies are caught in a deep debt., he explained
Unscientific, says Laxman
Senior leader and national OBC president K. Laxman said the power fare hike is totally “unscientific” and the ₹6,000 crore mop up is totally unheard of even in united Andhra Pradesh. “It will be the honest citizens paying power bills promptly who will be bearing the brunt as the government does not have the gumption to target those not paying any bills,” he claimed at a press conference.
Discoms-power distribution companies having ₹48,000 crore loss is purely TRS government’s ineptitude as about ₹17,000 crore is due from the departments alone. The free power being supplied to the agriculture is not being paid for by the government and entering into power purchase agreements with parties where the unit rate is high despite low rate units available with the Centre’s plants for ulterior motives are among the reasons for the present situation, he said
Mr. Laxman warned that if TRS government does not withdraw the power tariff hikes, it is bound to meet the same fate as erstwhile government which lost the people’s confidence and power for the same reason.
‘Take action’
The party has appealed to the police authorities to take action against the TRS functionaries responsible for the attack on State office and also on its party leaders on Thursday.
A delegation led by former MLC N. Ramchander Rao, legal cell’s K. Anthony Reddy, Ravinder Vishwanath and G Rama Rao met additional DG – law and order, Jitender, and presented a memorandum at his office to this effect.
The memorandum stated that the TRS party with the help of anti-social elements tried to barge into the party headquarters in Nampally but alert partymen thwarted their attempt. But, no case has been filed thus far. The police have been resorting to illegal arrests, including of top leaders and filing false cases at the behest of the ruling party across the districts, they alleged.
Comments made against the regime on the social media is attracting immediate arrests and cases being filed, the leaders charged with “TS resembling West Bengal” and demanded all the “false cases” be withdrawn immediately.
