The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded the state government to roll back the decision of recent power tariff hike…
AAP leader Dr Balbir Singh
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded the state government to roll back the decision of recent power tariff hike on Saturday.
The AAP has condemned the decision claiming that it will be an additional burden of Rs 200 crore over the consumers as they were already facing problems due to the inflation and debts.
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In a Press release issued on Saturday, the AAP leaders including Dr Balbir Singh and Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, alleged that state government has betrayed the people of Punjab by increasing power tariffs four times since the formation of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh led Congress government in the state.
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The AAP leaders said that Punjab is among the states selling power on higher rates, while the Congress had promised to provide low rate electricity in its poll manifesto.
They said Congress had also claimed to dismiss the agreements done with private firms during Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party government in Punjab to make new and fresh agreements.
The AAP leaders said that it is unfortunate that consumers in Punjab were already paying the remaining amounts of previous hikes in installments, now the recent decision of power tariff hike, applicable from April 2018, will ask the consumers to pay arrears in new bills.
AAP leader Dr Balbir Singh said due to the regular staff shortage in the power department, the problems of the consumers were not being addressed. He said that the contractual and outsourced employees were not taking the complaints of consumers seriously.
On the other hand, the state government was increasing the power tariffs instead of resolving the issues of consumers, he alleged. He said that state government has imposed Two percent cess on urban power consumers, thereafter the state power regulatory commission increased power rates by 9.3 percent on which around Five percent fall surcharge was imposed.
Subsequently, the free electricity facility to cow sheds including power subsidy to Dalit consumers was also stopped.
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