Activists of AIADMK, led by party’s organising secretary S Semmalai and Puducherry unit secretary A Anbazhagan, staged a demonstration near the old bus stand demanding that the Union Territory government withdraw the hike in power tariff with immediate effect.
Semmalai, addressing the gathering, said that the hike of over 45 per cent in power tariff was unjustifiable.
Semmalai added that at a time when the common man was reeling under inflation, the hike would further burden all sections of society. In addition to the tariff hike, people were subjected to unscheduled power cuts, he pointed out.
Semmalai said that Rangasamy led AINRC government was playing a double game by blaming the Centre for not allotting adequate funds on one hand and by not utilising the allotted funds on the other. Semmalai also slammed the AINRC government for indirectly supporting the bandh organised by Pattali Makkal Katchi.
Anbazhagan said that the UT’s power consumption was 420 MW per year, and the total expenditure for a year was around Rs 960 crore. He said that the administration collected charges around Rs 920 crore from the customers, with the deficit being Rs 40 crore. Anbazhagan said that the Electricity Department would collect an additional Rs 350 crore post tariff hike wiping off the deficit.