Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office, V Narayanasamy, and Pradesh Congress Committee president, A V Subramanian, urged the Union Territory administration on Sunday to withdraw the power tariff hike. The Congress Committee Chief said that the party would organise agitations in all the constituencies if the government failed to roll back the hike by June 15.
Addressing reporters, Narayanasamy said that power was being bought at 98 paise per unit from the central grid and Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and was being sold to the public at `3.
This could not be accepted, he said, adding that the power tariff hike was an added burden on the common man, who is already paying an increased VAT and hiked bus fare. The Union Minister claimed that a domestic consumer, who was paying a monthly bill of `700, would now have to shell out `3,000 for the same units of power consumed.
On being asked about sale of the shares of NLC, Narayanasamy said the practice of selling the share of public sector undertakings like IOC and Bharat Petroleum, which were making profit, was usual and the funds from selling the shares would be used for development of the firm and welfare of the workers.