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City Congress protest against power tariff hike
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) approved a rate increase on April 1, making electricity dearer in the state
PUNE:
The city unit of the Congress party on Monday staged protests in front of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) office in Pune, condemning the 6 per cent increase in electricity tariffs.
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) approved a rate increase on April 1, making electricity dearer in the state.
The Congress blamed the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government for making life difficult for the common man by raising prices for basic necessities such as cooking gas, petrol, electricity and highway tolls. The increase in electricity prices during the summer is likely to disrupt the average man’s monthly budget.
The residential tariff for MSEDCL customers has been raised by six per cent for the fiscal year 2023-24, followed by another six per cent the following year.
In response to the news, Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde stated, “Despite stern resistance, the ruling state government has increased electricity rates. The state government intends to privatise the MSEDCL and hand it over to their favoured businessmen like Adani by increasing the cost of state-owned electricity rates.”
Congress has warned that if the electricity rate increases, the party will stage protests throughout the state, and has raised the issue with various ministers.”
“The Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister (DyCM) Devendra Fadnavis promised that they will not hike tariffs of basic necessities like electricity,” said Congress party spokesperson Gopal Tiwari.
“Fadnavis had promised in the state assembly that the government would not raise electricity rates and within two weeks, he went back on his words,” Tiwari claimed.
The agitation was led by Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress vice president Mohan Joshi, former city unit president Ramesh Bagwe and senior leader Abhay Chajjed.
