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Opposition to protest against power, water situation

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Nationalist Congress Party, Jan Morcha and Janata Dal (S) will hold a protest demonstration at Delhi Secretariat on August 29 in protest against "mishandling" of the power and water crisis by the Delhi Government and exploitation of consumers by the private power distribution companies.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Friday, Jan Morcha president Raj Babbar, Delhi Nationalist Congress Party president Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Janata Dal (S) leader and Deputy Speaker in the Delhi Assembly Shoaib Iqbal said Delhi was facing one of its worst power and water crises. The situation on the power front was very poor and it was getting worse with each passing day. "While the people of Delhi have been financially burdened with inflated bills, fast running meters and massive tariff hike during the past three years, there is no respite from power cuts. People are being subjected to power cuts ranging from eight to ten hours each day. The Government has not been able to effectively deal with the situation and provide relief to the people."

The leaders announced that the three parties along with the Left would hold a public rally at V.P. House inside the Constitution Club on September 10 to protest against the proposed sealing and demolition drive against illegal commercial premises in the Capital from September 15 under the directions of the Supreme Court. The leaders said an immediate relief package or legislation should be brought forward by the United Progressive Alliance Government to prevent lakhs of people from being displaced and rendered unemployed. They said Delhi and its people cannot afford another phase of demolitions and sealing and therefore it was important that some concrete steps were taken to address the situation. Former Prime Minister V. P. Singh will address the public rally along with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and a number of Left party leaders. Referring to the issue of sale of commercial and residential plots by the DDA, these leaders demanded that the DDA pay 25 per cent of the revenue generated from such record sale of property to the farmers whose land was acquired for Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 10,000 per acre and sold for a fortune.

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