APERC public hearing held under tight security

CPI(M) activists taken into custody; meet participants oppose power tariff hike

January 24, 2014 10:51 am | Updated November 16, 2021 06:21 pm IST - KARIMNAGAR:

Police arresting CPI(M) activists when they tried to obstruct the APERC public hearing on power tariff hike in Karimnagar on Thursday. Photo: T. Ajaypal Singh

Police arresting CPI(M) activists when they tried to obstruct the APERC public hearing on power tariff hike in Karimnagar on Thursday. Photo: T. Ajaypal Singh

The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) public hearing about the proposed power tariff hike from the year 2014-15 to 2018-19 by the Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (NPDCL) was conducted peacefully barring stray incidents of protests by the CPI(M) activists in front of Zilla Parishad conference hall in Karimnagar on Thursday.

Amid unprecedented security arrangements, the APERC public meeting started meeting peacefully under the chairmanship of V. Bhaskar and members R Ashoka Chary and P Rajgopal Reddy. NPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Karthikeya Mishar through power point presentation explained about the proposed power tariff hike and measures being taken to reduce transmission and distribution losses.

When the meeting was in process, CPI(M) activists arrived in large numbers at the venue and raised slogans against the power tariff hike. However, the police swung into action and lifted them to the police station. Later, the meeting continued without any interruptions and all the participants opposed the power tariff hike.

Basava Punnaiah flayed the NPDCL authorities for increasing the power tariff hike for a period of five years against the norms. He flayed the authorities for burdening the consumers with tariff hike due to losses.

CPI(M) leader G. Mukund Reddy alleged that the power tariff hike was a burden on common man.

Karimnagar Consumers’ Council leader N. Srinivas said that the power tariff could be reduced if the authorities reduce the line losses and check pilferage. He also urged the authorities to instruct the AP Genco to take up more solar power plants.

Former legislator G. Mukund Reddy alleged that the authorities are failing to replace the burnt transformers and are causing severe loss to the farming community. He also demanded compensation to all the victims, who have succumbed to the injuries due to electric shocks.

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