About 100 activists under the fold of District Congress Committee (DCC) staged a mass demonstration in front of the district collectorate protesting against electricity tariff hike and demanding its rollback. The agitators said that the tariff revision can only be done on the basis petitions received from the different stakeholders by taking into account their commercial viability and operational efficiency along with conducting public hearing. But surprisingly the OERC passed the tariff hike order in a hurry and at a time when the licences of three distribution companies have been revoked.
“The State Government has cracked a cruel joke on farmers. The BJD had promised in its election manifesto to provide free power for agriculture. But the party has forgotten it. Instead of an unusual hike of 40 paise per unit has been charged on farmers,” said the demonstrators. The DCC demanded CAG audit into irregularities committed by the distributing companies, uninterrupted supply of power, coverage of uncovered habitations with electricity and supply of free electricity to BPl households under RGGVY and BGVY by 2015-16 besides reorganization of the Cesu division of Kendrapada with required addition of sub divisions and sections. The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the ADM for the Governor.
