Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded immediate withdrawal of the "draconian" power tariff hike, alleging the Congress government had gone back on its word to provide electricity at lower rate.
Power regulator Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) today announced a 9.33 per cent hike in electricity rates for 2017-18, to be effective from April 1 this year.
Badal said the Congress had "deceived the people" as Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had made an announcement, one month into his rule, that all consumers would be supplied power at the rate of Rs 5 per unit.
"However, the government did not communicate this decision to the PSERC. Instead the State electricity utility
PSPCL asked for an increase in power tariff. The same has been approved by the PSERC today," he said.
The former deputy chief minister asked the Congress government to explain why it was "lying and deceiving" the people by saying one thing and doing the exact opposite.
"The state cabinet had approved power supply for industrial sector at Rs 5 per unit only one week back and now the entire industry had been burdened with an unbearable increase between 8.50 to 11.88 per cent," said Badal.
"What is tragic is that the power tariff increase is the most for small industrial units -- 11.88 per cent. This will effectively kill the small industrial sector which is already passing through a challenging phase," he added.
He said domestic consumers had also been betrayed.
Power tariff for domestic consumers has been hiked by an unprecedented 10 per cent. Besides, the government has already implemented a municipal tax equivalent to two per cent of power bills in municipal areas, Badal said.
"All this has hit common man who has also been hit by other charges including increase in external development charges," said Badal.
He said that if the electricity duty of 18 per cent was also taken into consideration, the power tariff hike would increase further across all categories.
Badal also questioned the Punjab chief minister as to whether he had deliberately delayed the tariff order till the completion of the Gurdaspur by-poll.
"..or the people themselves will confront you in the streets and ask why you have given them this 'Diwali' gift", he said.
The former Deputy CM said that the SAD-BJP government had, in stark contrast, not raised power tariff for two consecutive years, in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
"Our government also slashed the energy rates for industrial users to promote growth in 2016," he said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)