Condemning the “inhuman burden” put on the common man with repeated hikes in power tariff and duties, SAD on Friday demanded roll back of the latest two percent increase in electricity duty from 13 to 15 per cent for all consumers in rural areas.
“PSPCl’s latest order would put a heavy burden on all rural consumers with the Board deciding to levy the increase with retrospective effect from April one this year,” said the former Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa.
Dhindsa said repeated hike in power tariff and electricity duty had resulted in 17 to 20 per cent increase in domestic power tariff in the little more than one year of Congress rule.
“Earlier in October last year, the Government had effected a nine to 12 per cent increase in domestic power tariff in one go with retrospective effect from April 2017. A municipal tax equivalent to two percent of electricity bill was also levied last year. Electricity duty was also increased by two per cent in March this year,” he added.
He added earlier in April this year, the Government had affected an increase of Rs 2.17 percent in domestic power and an increase in fixed charges by Rs 10 per kilo watt.
“Even the industrial sector, which had been promised power at a flat rate of Rs 5 per unit, had been deceived with the Government going in for a two per cent increase in power tariff for this sector besides increasing fixed charges by Rs 10 to Rs 15 per unit,” he said.
Dhindsa said the Congress Government was bent on breaking the back of the common man with domestic consumers were levied fixed charges whether they consumed power or not. He said the SC consumers were being harassed and forced to pay astronomical bills even as the partial free power facility to backward castes had been withdrawn.
He declared, “We will take this issue to the people and force the Government to take back all anti-people decisions.”