Hyderabad, April 04: Demanding the state government to immediately roll back the hike in power tariff, members of the All- India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) staged a protest dharna at the Sundaraiah Park yesterday.
They said that people have been suffering due to the increase in power tariff as it has come as an additional burden and they are already coping up with the skyrocketing prices of all essential commodities.
They burnt the state government in effigy and raised slogans against the chief minister.
AIDWA state president T. Jyothi alleged that the government’s move was aimed at enabling the private and corporate power companies make huge profits. She pointed out that the increase was against the promise made by the ruling party not to raise the power tariff in their 2009 election manifesto. She took strong objection to the state government’s power policy allowing independent power producers to sell the power generated outside the state.
Association general secretary K. Swaroopa Rani said the hike in power tariff will cause an additional burden on the people. She feared that government policies on power issues might prove dangerous for the poor in the long run.
The increase would burden the people by about Rs 1,500 crore, she said. The association would intensify its agitation if the government fails to concede their demand, she said.
Association vice president B. Hymavathi, joint secretaries A.E. Rani, K. Pramela, vice presidents Ratnamala and K. Subbaravamma also participated.
–Agencies