Congress MLAs say hike is unjustified

The voices of dissent in the ruling Congress on the increase of power tariff came to the fore on Saturday. Several Congress MLAs, including Mukesh Sharma and Subhash Chopra, slammed the increase in electricity rates, calling it totally unjustified and anti-people and demanded an immediate roll back.

The voices of dissent in the ruling Congress on the increase of power tariff came to the fore on Saturday. Several Congress MLAs, including Mukesh Sharma and Subhash Chopra, slammed the increase in electricity rates, calling it totally unjustified and anti-people and demanded an immediate roll back.

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While Chopra said he would launch a protest if the government did not roll back the hike, Sharma said he would not accept the subsidy the government might offer to frugal consumers.

“We will raise the issue in the assembly also. The hike will also affect Congress’ chances in the students union elections scheduled to be held in September,” Sharma, MLA from Uttam Nagar assembly segment in west Delhi, said.

“The power discoms have saved more than R 4,000 crore by reducing transmission and distribution losses by 40%,” Chopra said. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, however, defended the power regulator’s decision to hike the tariff saying power purchase cost has increased significantly in the last few years.

“The tariff has been hiked after five years. In the last few years, rates of fuel have increased by 100%. The rates of gas, oil and LPG have all increased significantly,” Dikshit told reporters.