The power tariff hike announced on Friday is the “first big gift” of the AIADMK government for people after the ruling party won the Sankarankoil by-election with a huge margin, DMK president M. Karunanidhi said on Saturday.
Reacting to the increase in power tariff, in a statement here, he lashed out at the government and said that a similar exercise was undertaken by the AIADMK regime in 2001 and 2003 too.
He recalled that during the DMK period, changes in power tariff were announced in July 2010. Terming the present hike ‘abnormal' as it was to the tune of Rs.7,874 crore, Mr. Karunanidhi said that during DMK rule, the increase was only Rs.1,651 crore. Even for domestic connections, the increase was just Rs.1 for those who consumed more than 600 units.
Reminding Ms. Jayalalithaa that in a press release she had demanded the withdrawal of the hike, he said that she should come forward to remove the burden on domestic consumers now.
The “indiscriminate hike” had been made applicable to all without any differentiation between the rich and the poor.
Later, the DMK headquarters stated in a release that demonstrations would be held on April 9 in all district headquarters to protest the tariff hike and “anti-people measures” of the government.
Leader of the Opposition Vijayakant said that in the past Ms. Jayalalithaa had protested the three-hour power cut.
But, after she came to power, the situation is that the duration was immaterial, as there was no power in the State.
The present hike would badly affect all sections of society, agriculture and industries.
It only showed that the government was not concerned about the poor. These were trying times for the people of Tamil Nadu, who were already badly affected by the hike in bus fare and prices of milk, fuel and cooking gas.
CPI (M) State Secretary G. Ramakrishnan said that the hike in power tariff would have a chain reaction that would result in increase in prices of several materials. That the hike was 25 per cent for HT consumers and 45 per cent for LT consumers showed that the latter had been targeted.
Because of the consequences arising out of the deterioration in administration and wrong policies, the burden should not be passed on to the common man. The hike should be withdrawn.
CPI State Secretary D. Pandian said that the power tariff increase would destabilise people's lives and should be rolled back.
PMK leader S. Ramadoss said his party would file an appeal against the hike. Demonstration would be held in front of the offices of Collectors and Tahsildars in the districts on April 4.
The public hearings on proposed power tariff increase had become an ‘eyewash,' MDMK general secretary Vaiko said, condemning the “anti-people attitude” of the AIADMK government. The people were already burdened by the hike in bus fare and milk prices.
The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi said that by eradicating power theft and streamlining the administration it would be possible to manage the losses to some extent. The hike would directly affect the common man.
