Pressure on UP to cut power tariff

Pressure is mounting on Uttar Pradesh government to slash power tariff in the state on the lines of Maharashtra and Haryana. Not only the opposition parties, the leaders of the ruling Samajwadi Party are also in favour of cutting rates.

While the opposition parties say the tariff was already very high in UP, SP leaders feel a decrease will help the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

“The state government must decrease the tariff in public interest. It is really unfortunate that the chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is not taking any interest in the matter,” said BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak.

Congress state president Nirmal Khatri too advocated slashing power tariff.
“Not only should the government slash the rates but should also make arrangements for uninterrupted supply to all the districts,” Khatri said.

Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Munna Singh Chauhan decried the state government for not reducing the tariff.

“The apathetical attitude of the state government has exposed its anti-people face,” Chauhan said.

SP national general secretary Ashok Bajapi has also sought reducing tariff. Bajpai, in a letter to the Chief Minister, said the power tariff up to at least 250 units must be brought down to provide relief to the poor people.

Power consumer organisations have also been demanding a reduction. SP leaders here said many states had reduced power tariff and there was no reason why it cannot be done in UP.

“We will stand to gain if it is done here,” said an Samajwadi Party leader.

The  government had in fact planned to increase the tariff though it could not do so owing reportedly to opposition by SP leaders.

Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary had to later clarify that the state government had no plan to hike the power tariff.