UNITED WE STAND: Left party MPs Aziz Pasha and P. Madhu at the all-party meeting organised to discuss harassment of electricity consumers in the old city on Wednesday. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Hyderabad: The arrest and harassment of electricity bill defaulters in the old city and collection of compound interest was strongly denounced by various political parties.

A protest meeting held at Azam function hall in Moghalpura on Wednesday asked the Government to offer one time settlement opportunity to the people.

MIM blamed

The Left parties, espousing the cause of consumers in the old city, squarely blamed the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) for the sorry state of affairs.

They accused the party of letting down the people and turning a blind eye to their suffering.

Representatives of the MBT and the Muslim League also addressed the meeting.

P. Madhu, Rajya Sabha MP, said there were 3.85-lakh domestic consumers in the three electricity divisions of the old city. Of this 1.75-lakh consumers owed arrears of Rs. 35 crores, including surcharge of Rs. 12 crores. He wondered why the department had kept quiet all these days. Now on an average 300 to 400 cases were being booked against the consumers every month and those who could not pay were being arrested.

To petition YSR

Mr. Madhu asked the Government to offer one time settlement facility to the consumers as was being done in case of industries. He also wanted concession to be given in payment of water arrears. The all-party delegation would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and make a representation in this connection.

Aziz Pasha, CPI MP, urged the Government to waive 50 per cent of electricity arrears and allow the rest to be paid in instalments.

He objected to the installation of pole-mounted meters and wondered why this was being done only in the old city. MBT corporator, Amjadullah, and Muslim League president, Abdult Sattar, also spoke.

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