SAD condemns Congress govt decision to hike power tariff by 8 percent for next fiscal
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday condemned the Congress government for repeated power hikes and said its latest proposal to hike power tariff in Punjab by another 8 percent would result in untold sufferings to the common man as well as trade and industry which was reeling from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even as the party has demanded the government to roll back its decision regarding the hike in power tariff in Punjab immediately.
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“We condemn this anti-people step. The government should provide much-needed relief to the common man as well as trade and industry instead of seeking hefty power hikes,” he added.
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He said that the Congress government had already increased power tariff by more than 30 percent since coming to power in Punjab and the latest proposed hike would make power rates in the State among the costliest in the country.
Asking the Congress government not to penalise the people for its failure to run the PSPCL on professional lines; Sikander Singh Maluka said the PSPCL had run up a revenue loss of Rs 8363 crores during the last three years.
Maluka said the recent hikes had made Punjab a most unfavorable destination for investment. He said simultaneously the Scheduled Caste population, which was given partial free power by Parkash Singh Badal, had been worst hit with the Congress government changing norms to virtually do away with this facility. He said due to this the SC population was being served highly inflated bills which they were unable to deposit.
-PTC News
