The People for India Forum and Jana Vignana Vedika took up a signature campaign at Sankar Vilas Centre here on Monday demanding that the power tariff hike be rolled back.
A large number of women and college students expressed objection to the Government’s decision to increase the power tariff and observed that there were alternatives which could have been explored.
Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV) leader N. Venugopala Rao launched the campaign by signing on the banner followed by activists of JVV and People for India Forum (PIF).
On the occasion, Mr. Venugopala Rao said the privatisation policies implemented by successive Governments starting in 1998 were responsible for the present crisis.
It was in 1998 that the TDP had heralded electricity reforms by entering into an agreement with the World Bank, which resulted in breaking up of the erstwhile State Electricity Board into generation, transmission and distribution wings. The problems have started with that unnecessary trifurcation of the public sector entity which was doing quite well.
The NDA Government had taken forward the electricity reforms in 2003 and the Congress party picked up from there.
Senior Citizens’ Association President N. Tirupataiah said the idle capacities at gas-based power plants made a huge dent to the economy. The Governments’ policies have only helped the so called `independent power producers’ in minting money without fulfilling their obligations.
PIF Convener K.L. Prasad, Avagahana K. Sivarami Reddy, All India Insurance Employees’ Association leader V.V.K. Suresh, UTF leader N. Thandava Krishna and others participated.
