To register its protest against the move to hike power tariff, Delhi's body of residents' welfare associations, the United Residents' Joint Action (URJA), organised a public meeting on Sunday which was attended by a large number of people.
The meeting consisted mainly of residents of Timarpur and Model Town Assembly constituencies, who gathered at Rana Pratap Bagh on G.T. Karnal Road.
Organised by URJA North-East Delhi coordinator Saurabh Gandhi, the gathering included Mayor Rajni Abbi and other local councillors. URJA State council member H.C. Gupta outlined the scope of the protest campaign as it moved into its second phase and reiterated the four-point demands of the association, including completion of a Comptroller and Auditor General audit before the tariff is hiked.
URJA chairperson Sanjay Kaul demanded the State Government show the same initiative it showed last year when it blocked the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's intended order for a reduction in tariffs.
“The Delhi Government has used Section 108 of the Electricity Act to block the 20 per cent reduction offer of DERC last year. We want to know why it won't not use the same instrument to block this unfair hike by the DERC in a similar fashion”, he said.
Mr. Kaul called for an integrated opposition to the tariff hike involving civil society groups, RWAs and political parties across ideologies.
The Mayor echoed the sentiments of URJA members and expressed full support to the campaign. “We support URJA in this campaign and we are with the people of Delhi in this unfair tariff hike,” she said.
