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Women protest raise in power rates

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Demanding a complete rollback of the increase in power tariff for various categories and the resignation of the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, for having betrayed the mandate of the people, various women organisations led by the BJP Mahila Morcha on Tuesday staged a demonstration near Delhi Secretariat at Players Building.

However, their attempts to gherao the Chief Minister was foiled by the police personnel stationed there who stopped the protestors short of the Players' Building. Stating that the third consecutive increase in the power rates had left the people of Delhi high and dry, the protestors demanded an immediate rollback of the tariff which they said was "unjustified and uncalled for''. While the private power companies were being provided huge subsidies, the people of Delhi were being burdened with financial hikes in various categories. It was unfortunate that after the massive hike in water tariffs, the power rates had gone up now, they said.

Representatives of the Mahila Morcha accused the Sheila Dikshit Government of being hand in glove with the private discoms. It was decided that Ms. Dikshit would be shown black flags wherever she goes till the hike was withdrawn. The Delhi BJP unit president, Harsh Vardhan, and Mahila Morcha chief, Vishakha Shailani, led the protestors.

Addressing the demonstration, Dr. Vardhan said both the Delhi Government and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) had connived with the private power companies to fleece the people of Delhi and power tariffs had increased by 30 per cent during the last two years. The Leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Jagdish Mukhi, and the former Member of Parliament, Anita Arya, also addressed the meeting.

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