Residents want rollback of power tariff hike

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 22

City residents have flayed the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (PSERC) decision to hike power tariff by 2.17 per cent, apart from increasing fixed electricity charges for 2018-19 for all categories of consumers.

SAD leader and sangrash committee president Vijay Kumar on Sunday staged a protest along with residents at Paras Ram Nagar chowk against the move.

The protesters also raised slogans against the state government and demanded rollback of the decision.

Vijay Kumar said Capt Amarinder Singh, during his rallies before the elections, had promised to lower the power tariff and give relief to the people, but since he has come to the power, he has forgotten such promises.

On the contrary, his government has hike the power tariff and also put additional burden by hiking surcharge and imposing more taxes, he added.

He demanded immediate rollback of the decision and warned that if not done so, then they would intensify their protest.

Gian Chand Bansal, spokesman for the Swaraj Party, Punjab, said in one-year rule, the Congress government has done nothing except putting burden on the common man in the form of the various taxes and tariff hike.

The power tariff hike for the third time in a year would crush the poor and middle class sections of society, he added.

Senior deputy mayor and BJP leader Tarsem Goyal expressed shock over the hike and said the state government was back-stabbing the people.

He said it was totally unacceptable as the Congress, before coming to power, had promised cheap power but now it is putting unnecessary burden on the people by such moves.

Rakesh Narula, president of the Bathinda Vikas Manch, said the announcements of new rates would upset the monthly budget of middle class families. Inflation has already burnt a hole in the pocket of the middle and poor class, he added.

Prof NK Gosian, a city resident, said, “After the Congress came to power, every section was expecting some relief, but instead, the government has crushed the people by imposing new professional and development tax and hike in power tariff time and again in just one year.”