Hyderabad: National president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at a party meeting in Amaravati on Monday slammed the Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh (AP) government for increasing electricity charges “over six times” in the last two-and-a half-years.
The TDP announced that it has resolved to step up its agitation to demand roll back of current charges by holding protest programmes from October 4 to 31. Addressing the meeting, Naidu said that all people should take part and make the protests a success.
Furthermore, the agitation of consumers would consist of awareness events in the media, meetings at village and mandal, level visits of MLAs and in-charges and finally zonal level (State-wide) protests, TDP stated in a press release. ”The YSRCP regime increased electricity charges even when the people were suffering greatly during the peak of COVID-19,” Naidu remarked.
TDP leaders reportedly said that it was high time for the people to denounce and reject the lopsided policies of the government. ”The previous Chandrababu regime did not hike a single rupee in current charges during its five year rule. Whereas, CM Jagan Reddy who came to power promising no hike in current charges but broke that promise in his usual inimitable style,” the party stated in a press release.
Furthermore, TDP alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government put a “power sector burden” of Rs 36,102 crore after it came to power in 2019. TDP leaders also alleged that over Rs 11,611 crore of additional burden was put on the people in the form of hikes in current charges for over six times.
The statement of TDP further said that, “another huge burden was imposed by bringing Rs 24,491 crore loans through the AP power finance corporation Ltd (APPFCL).”