The Punjab government has hiked rate of electricity duty by two per cent for all category of consumers in rural areas.
The rate has been enhanced from 13 to 15 per cent with effect from April 1, 2018, on the power supplied by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), an official statement said.
The opposition SAD condemned the "inhuman burden being put on the common man with repeated hikes in power tariff and duties," even as it demanded roll back of the hike.
Former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa said the latest order of the PSPCL would put a heavy burden on all rural consumers.
Dhindsa said repeated increase in power tariffs and electricity duty has resulted in a 17 to 20 per cent increase in domestic power tariff in the past 15 months of the Congress rule.
"Earlier in October last year, the government had effected a nine to twelve per cent increase in domestic power tariff in one go with retrospective effect from April, 2017.
"Even the industrial sector, which had been promised power at a flat rate of Rs five per unit had been deceived with the government going in for a two per cent increase in power tariff for this sector besides increasing fixed charges by Rs 10 to Rs 15 per unit," he said.
He said instead of giving relief to the industry as well as the common man as promised, the government was increasing tariff steadily and now it had reached such a point that the hikes had become unbearable.
"We will force the government to take back all anti-people decisions," he added.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)