Marathon against power tariff hike today, 2,000 to participate

Around 2,000 youths will participate in a Bijli Andolan marathon, from Ajmal Khan Road to Karol Bagh, on Monday to register their protest against the hike in electricity rates.

Around 2,000 youths will participate in a Bijli Andolan marathon, from Ajmal Khan Road to Karol Bagh, on Monday to register their protest against the hike in electricity rates.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Goel, who has been supporting the movement, announced this after meeting representatives of different Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the city.

Several RWAs have been raising their voices against power tariff hikes and have united under the movement called Bijli Andolan, he said. Goel has also called for a convention of RWAs, NGOs and traders at the Talkatora Stadium on November 23. "The public is already facing problems due to inflation in every sector. To satisfy the greed of a few, the government is adding to people's woes by hiking power tariff," the leader said.

Goel said, "During the past eight years, power theft cases have reduced up to 35%, but the benefit has not been passed on to the public.”

RWAs raised several issues like the government's promise of reducing power tariffs and its silence over the hike. "When the privatisation of electricity took place, the public was promised cheaper power supply, but the government has turned its back," said an RWA representative.