The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Opposition wants Government to put power tariff hike on hold

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Friday, Nov 27, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Opposition wants Government to put power tariff hike on hold

Bangalore Bureau

Opposition builds up against increase in power tariff
Vatal Nagaraj plans buffaloes’ protest

BANGALORE: The Opposition parties have criticised the increase in power tariff at a time when the State is reeling under load-shedding and urged the State Government to take steps to put the hike on hold.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande ridiculed the Government for its “failure” to provide uninterrupted and quality power in both the urban and rural areas putting the people to hardship.

Escoms criticised

Mr. Deshpande said that the Escoms had no right to approach the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission for approval for increase in the tariff and demanded that it should be withdrawn.

The Janata Dal (Secular), which recently staged a State-wide protest against load-shedding, is also opposing the tariff hike. Party leader P.G.R. Sindhia said sparing domestic and AEH consumers from the hike for the first 100 units consumed by them was a “joke” and would not help poor and middle class families.

The Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha will hold a procession of buffaloes to protest the decision to hike power tariff on November 29 in Bangalore.

The paksha leader and the former MLA Vatal Nagaraj told presspersons here on Thursday that the Government had exhibited its insensitivity to public problems, particularly in rural areas, by going before the power regulator to seek a hike in the power tariff.

It was a shame on the part of the Government that it was keen on tariff hike though it had been supplying power hardly a hour in a day uninterruptedly in rural areas, he said.

The manner in which it was supplying power in rural areas had not only been causing human misery but also damaging agricultural prospects. The party’s buffaloes’ procession was symbolic in this context, he said.

FKCCI decision today?

The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has taken serious exception to the power tariff hike, is expected to take a decision on whether to challenge the tariff order before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity at its managing committee meeting to be held in Bangalore on Friday.

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