BJP for uniform power tariff across States

Andhra Pradesh’s high power tariff is becoming an impediment to industries in the State, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Y. Raghunatha Babu said here on Friday.

“The ruling BJP at the Centre is not against subsidising power tariff for the poor. But this should not be at the cost of industries as many of them, including ferro-alloy units, would have no other option but to down their shutters in view of the high tariffs,” he told reporters here, adding that the State Government should bear the power subsidy for the poor instead of passing on the burden to industrial consumers.

The Centre will soon come out with a national policy on power tariff to give a boost to the ‘Make in India’ movement at a time when global captains of the industry are mulling to shift base to India from China, he said.

Andhra Pradesh was the biggest gainer of power projects sanctioned by the Centre, he said, and wanted the State Government to come out with a progressive industrial policy to promote port-led development by taking advantage of the State’s vast coastline.

Mr. Raghunatha Babu, also the chairman of the Tobacco Board, said tobacco growers could hope for better days to come in the wake of the market intervention by Markfed.

Farmers can realise a better return for their produce for other crops too by selling them at the best remunerative prices anywhere in the country and outside, he said.

The ₹20 lakh crore stimulus announced by the Centre received an encouraging response from the public, he said.