BJP leaders and workers on Friday staged a dharna near the Raj Bhavan here demanding audit of power distribution companies (discoms) by the CAG and immediate rollback of the decision taken by the Government to hike power tariff from April 1. A delegation submitted a memorandum to Governor SC Jamir urging him to intervene in the issue at the earliest. In the memorandum, the party leaders said the State has raised the power tariff of domestic consumers by 20 paise per unit and of farmers by 40 paise per unit. The party termed the BJD Government as anti-farmer, anti-poor and pro-industrialist.
leaders like Pruthviraj Harichandan and Bhrigu Buxipatra said the Government had assured people that the state of electricity distribution and generation would be improved and people would get cheap electricity after entry of private players in the sector, but it failed to keep its promise. The private players started cheating people. “The discoms are said to have incurred losses of up to Rs 5,000 crore,” said the leaders, adding, “The State Government has time and again shown its inefficiency and serious bungling in the handling of the natural resources of the State.”
The party said the Government should immediately think how to recover the money due on the Reliance Company. During the 15 years of the BJD rule, select officials have held positions in the Energy Department for long periods of time and are majorly responsible for non-recovery of these dues. They should be answerable for this and action should be taken against them immediately, the leaders added. “If the Government doesn’t rollback the hike, we will convert our protest into a people’s agitation,” said Buxipatra.