Opposition flays power tariff hike, terms it ‘anti-people’

LUCKNOW: Even as the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday defended the state government for steep hike in power tariff, both domestic and commercial, the opposition launched a frontal attack on the government for its lopsided approach in dealing with the unprecedented crisis in UP. The opposition said hike was against the interest of people.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati termed the increase as “anti-people” and assailed the SP government for power woes in the state.

Pointing out that power crisis had badly affected lives of people, Mayawati said increase in tariff rate would further compound the problem. She also said that there was discrimination in power supply to rural and urban areas and rampant corruption in department had assumed serious dimension.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Laxmikant Bajpai along with legislative party leader Suresh Khanna and legislative council leader Hriday Narain Dikshit staged a sit-in outside the power regulator’s office demanding a roll back of the steep hike.

“We are going to agitate till the government rolls back this anti- people move. It’s now very clear that this government is completely indifferent to the plight of the aam aadmi. As it is the common man hardly receives any power and for whatever little they get they are now going to be charged substantially. What is this government up to?” the BJP leaders questioned.

However, rebutting charges, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhury said both the BSP and BJP had been trying to mislead the people on the issue. He said chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had been making efforts to improve the situation. Chaudhury said the UP power corporation had been importing adequate electricity to normalise the situation.

Chaudhury said as compared to Delhi, MP Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, power tariff rate was quite low in UP.

He said there was no change in tariff up to consumption of 500 units per month and there was only some changes in slab. Meanwhile, UP Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesman Satyadeo Tripathi while criticising the decision, said that rates in UP were higher than Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.

He said the government should lay emphasis on transmission losses to improve the supply situation.