VIJAYAWADA: The Opposition TDP has decided to organise statewide protests from Ugadi against the power tariff hike. As part of the protest, TDP activists will make door-to-door visits to their localities and distribute candles and matchboxes to households.
In a statement on Friday, TDP State president K Atchannaidu said the party will organise the protests for a week denouncing the steep increase in power charges
. He alleged that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy forced the people to hit the streets against the power tariff hike instead of celebrating Ugadi festival at home. The TDP will intensify its stir in a phased manner demanding a rollback of the hike, he said.
TDP senior leader K Kala Venkata Rao flayed the YSRC government for imposing a burden of Rs 16,611 crore on the people by increasing power tariff ‘seven times’ in the past three years. The poor and lower middle-class people consuming below 125 units of power per month, need to pay Rs 4.50 per unit now.
A total burden of Rs 42,872 crore was imposed on the people by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in just three years. The burden included Rs 16,611 crore in the form of seven hikes in power charges and another Rs 26,261 crore loans brought from the Power Finance Corporation Ltd, he said.
The TDP leader pointed out that the power tariff hike was just 6% in case of the rich, compared to 57% increase in power charges of the poor people.