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Bhattal demands power hike rollback

Chandigarh: The Opposition Congress has demanded immediate rollback in power tariff on urban consumers in Punjab and threatened to launch a protest all over the State after the festival season if the government failed to do that.

Former Chief Minister and Punjab Congress Chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said that the around eight per cent hike on urban consumers effective from September at the directions of the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission would put an unnecessary burden on consumers.

She said the Parkash Singh Badal SAD-BJP alliance government should instead make a provision in the State budget for compensating the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) as had been done by the previous Congress government to provide power subsidy to rural consumers. Ms. Bhattal said the SAD-BJP alliance is deliberately creating a civil war like situation by creating a rift between the rural and urban population by increasing the power tariff for the urban residents. “This will not be in national interest as it will destroy the peace and communal harmony,” she added. PTI

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Bhattal demands power hike rollback

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