Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former Energy Minister K. Kala Venkata Rao has slammed the State government for imposing a ‘burden of ₹16,611 crore on the people by increasing power tariff seven times in the past three years’.
In a statement on Friday, Mr. Venkata Rao said that it might be the first time in the history of the country that electricity charges were increased by 60% in one single hike. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has betrayed the people of the State by breaking his poll promise that he would reduce the electricity charges, Mr. Venkata Rao said.
The TDP leader said that the poor and lower middle class using less than 125 units would now have to pay ₹4.50 per unit. Compared to previous rates, the hike would amount to almost 57%, he said. “The APERC is trying to mislead the public by saying that consumers using below 75 units would pay ₹3.10 per unit as per the old rates. They are actually paying ₹2.60 per unit as of now,” Mr. Venkata Rao claimed.
The former Minister said that a total burden of ₹42,872 core was imposed on the people in the power sector in just three years. This included ₹16,611 crore in the form of seven hikes in charges and another ₹26,261 crore in loans brought through the Power Finance Corporation Ltd.
The TDP leader alleged that the upper class who are using over 400 units have been charged a hike of only 0.55 paisa per unit. This is just a 6% hike. Whereas, a severe burden has been imposed on the poor by increasing charges by 57%. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy would go down in history as the only Chief Minister who discriminated against the poor even in electricity tariff,” Mr. Venkata Rao said
