No more hike in power charges, says TDP

The main Opposition Tdp on Monday demanded the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to withdraw the proposal of hike in power charges.

“The Congress government should keep up its poll promises by rolling back the power charges to the pre-2000 tariff to retain the peoples’ confidence,” the party senior leader T Devender Goud told reporters at the party headquarters NTR Trust Bhavan.

In the 2004 election manifesto, Congress has promised-- free power to farmers, 12 hours power supply, roll back power charges to 2000 level, free power to poor, lift irrigation and aqua farmers, pending power connections to be cleared in 100 days, new applications in 30 days and review of all Power Purchase Agreements.

However, the Congress Governments of YSR, Rosaiah and Kiran Kumar had not achieved any of their poll promises in power sector particularly the rollback of tariff to pre -2000 rates and also not to hike power five years, he said.

Instead the government has hiked power tariff to the tune of Rs 3,678 crore, the latest being Rs 650 crore by Kiran Kumar Reddy government immediately after he took over, Goud said.