Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said that the Congress Government is defrauding Punjabis by claiming that it has reduced power rates when “it has actually indulged in skullduggery by increasing the power tariff for the industrial and hospital sector”.

Sukhbir, who was in Abohar to attend a function held to mark the birth anniversary of the founder of Arora Samaj Arut Maharaj, said that the Government had reduced the power tariff for all those consumers who had two kW connections and consumed less than 200 units.

“This category should be supplied power free of cost as was done earlier during the erstwhile SAD-led Government,” he said while adding that the fact is that the Government had increased the power tariff for both medium and heavy industry as well as for charitable hospitals.

“It is shocking that instead of giving relief to the common man as well as the trade and industry by waiving off power bills for a six months period, the State Government is resorting to cheap gimmicks by projecting a relief where none has been actually given,” he said.

SAD president also decried the ‘goonda raj’ let loose in Abohar by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and consoled a family which approached him to state that Jakhar was allegedly protecting people in his native village against whom a murder charge had been registered under section 302.

He challenged Jakhar to contest the 2022 elections from Abohar and not run off to Pathankot where he was presently running a huge illegal sand mining operation.