Cong stages protest against hike in electricity tariff

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Congress staged dharna across the state to protest against a hike in the electricity tariff by the BJP govt and submitted memorandums to the officials concerned at all development blocks headquarters.
Congress leaders, including assembly speaker Charandas Mahant, party state president Deepak Baij and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, participated in the dharna with lanterns in their hands.
Addressing the sit-in in Raipur, state Congress president Deepak Baij said that in the last six months, Chhattisgarh, a state with surplus electricity, has become a centre of power cuts. During the summer, when demand increased, electricity was purchased from other states to ensure a 24-hour supply to the common people during the Congress rule. The Congress govt had started the ‘half electricity bill’ scheme to provide relief to consumers even in adverse conditions for five years, benefiting 4.4 million domestic consumers, saving each consumer Rs 40,000 to 50,000 over five years. While the BJP govt gives Rs 1,000 per month to women, it is charging double in the form of electricity bills, he alleged. Former CM Bhupesh Baghel said that electricity was supplied from Chhattisgarh to several states, including Telangana, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, under power exchange agreements during the Congress rule. Now, under the BJP’s double-engine govt, there are ongoing unofficial power cuts, he said.
Responding to the allegations, BJP state media in-charge Amit Chimnani said that during the five-year tenure of the Congress govt, the electricity tariff was increased more than four times, two big power generating plants were closed, the production capacity decreased instead of increasing, a case of treason was filed against the citizen who protested against power cut. “Congress, which came to power on the promise of bijli bill half, looted people by increasing the electricity bill. How dare Congress talk about electricity,” he said.