The Left parties have launched a signature campaign against the power tariff hike and fuel surcharge adjustment, here. The Left parties also burnt an effigy of the government to protest against the proposal to hike the power tariff again, here on Saturday.
The Left leaders, on the occasion, said the government had imposed a burden of Rs. 4,450-crore on the people in 2012 by going back on its electoral promise that it would not hike the power tariff. In the same year, the government had also imposed another dose of burden of Rs. 7,860 crore under the garb of surcharges. Unfortunately, the government has plans to revise the tariff. If its plans were to be implemented, the people would have to shell out another Rs. 9,000 crore. It takes the total burden to Rs. 22,000 crore, they said.
The government’s policies were aimed at helping the corporate companies but not the commoner. The power tariff hike and the surcharges would benefit companies like GMR and Lanco. The power companies were extended all kinds of subsidies at the cost of common man. On the other hand, the government was ignoring the public sector power generation company, AP Genco, they said. The Left parties would expose the lopsided policies of the government and create awareness among the public. They would also lay siege to the offices and residences of the elected representatives of the Congress from January 11 to 21, they added. CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao, CPI city secretary Donepudi Sankar, CPI(ML) leader Lakshman Rao, and CPI (ML-New Democracy) leader K. Rama Rao were among those present.
