KCR’S POWER SOP OPENS PANDORA BOX

The TS government has opened the Pandora’s Box by announcing a separate category for power charges to hair cutting salons of Nayee Brahmins (barbers).

The decision was taken by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as a part of his plans to protect hereditary professions.

At present, Discoms are collecting power charges from hair cutting salons under commercial category. The TS government, however, has decided to give `2 subsidy up to 200 units for hair cutting salons run by Nayee Brahmins.

After this announcement, the Arya Vyshyas are also demanding the state government to extend the same benefit to them also.

The Arya Vyshyas claim that their kirana business is also a hereditary profession. In villages, where most of kirana shops are set up in the residential house itself, discoms collect power charges in two categories — domestic tariff for residence and commercial tariff for kirana shops.

In a hearing on power tariff conducted by TS Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Arya Vyshyas representatives asked the commission to extend the same benefit to them as their profession is kirana business — a hereditary profession similar to hair cutting salons of Nayee Brahmins. The government and the electricity regulatory commission are yet to take a decision on this issue.