TDP stages darna opposing hike of power tariff

PNS|Guntur

The Telugu Desam activists led by former ministers Alapati Rajendra Prasad and Nakka Ananda Babu staged a darna in front of the electricity EE office in Tenali on Wednesday in protest against the collecting of high power tariff from the consumer.

The TDP leaders squatted on the road and raised slogans demanding the government to reduce the power tariff. Speaking on the occasion, Nakka Ananda Babu alleged that the government had put Rs 2,600 crore worth burden on the electricity consumers in the state in a stealthy way by hiking the tariff.

The power tariff had been hiked three times in disguise of various names. The power tariff has gone up by 60 per cent during the last one and half years as power tariff had been hiked thrice.

“Though the power tariff has been hiked only once officially, the tariff has been hiked twice in disguise of various names. The power tariff has become an additional burden on the middle class. The government is collecting Rs 1400 crore by hiking the tariff, Rs 200 crore in the name of minimum charges and Rs 2,910 crore in the name of fuel surcharge,” he charged.

TDP district president T Shrevan Kumar said that due to wrong policies of the state government, the power sector had crippled. The YSRCP leaders ruined the solar power sector by demanding money from the solar power companies.

The government is fixing meters yielding pressure from the Central government, he flayed. The TDP former MLA reminded that AP had surplus power during the TDP regime but now power scarcity prevailed in the state due to inefficiency of the rulers, he lashed out.

Ex-minister Alapati Raja reminded that Chandrababu Naidu was the brand ambassador for providing quality power as he made AP as power surplus state. “Though there is sufficient water in the projects, such a situation prevailed that power holidays were declare”, he lambasted.