Hyderabad, April 22: The Telugu Desam, the CPI and the CPM today opposed the proposed industrial power tariff hike, saying it would burden the people further.
Speaking to reporters here, TDP leaders L Ramana, Linga Reddy, K Rammohan Rao and S Venkateswara Rao warned that around 5,000 to 6,000 small-scale industries (SSIs) would be closed down if the power tariff for the industrial sector was increased.CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu speaking at the party state committee meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday
Demanding a white paper on the power sector, they said “People have already been burdened by the additional tax and hike in RTC fares. If the power tariff too is hiked, the total burden on the people will increase to Rs 7,000 crore,’’ they said and demanded that the government convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. They charged the government with failure to keep its promise of nine-hour power supply to people. Meanwhile, the two left parties, CPI and CPM, demanded that the government withdraw the proposal to increase the power tariff for industries.
The CPI demanded that the government hold an all-party meeting to discuss the issue while the CPM advised it to talk with the associations of the affected sectors before conveying its decision to the APERC.
Blaming the government for the mess, they felt that increasing the power tariff was not the solution.
They alleged that the secor had an accumulated deficit of Rs 10,000 crore and feared that the government might raise the tariff for domestic power too. Speaking on the sideline of the party’s State Secretariat meeting, CPI state secretary K Narayana said any increase would have an adverse impact on industrial promotion and commercial activity.
At another press conference, CPM state secretary BV Raghavulu said the government did not spare lift irrigations schemes from the hike and apprehended privatisation of the maintenance of lift irrigation projects which would burden the farming community.
“The government is ignoring Genco and buying power from the private sector at high prices. It is a big scam,’’ he alleged and demanded a review of gas allocations to private power generation units.
The CPM leader congratulated Congress leaders K Jana Reddy and Gutta Sukhendar Reddy on admitting that the government had wasted nearly Rs 53,000 crore in the name of Jalayagnam.
The left parties prepared an action plan for enforcing hartal on April 27 against UPA government’s policies and the rising prices.
–Agencies