TRS, YSR Cong stage dharna against power tariff hike

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Tuesday demanded that the State Government roll-back the hike in the power tariff immediately.

Talking to reporters at Vidhyut Soudha at Khairtabad, where about 500 TRS activists staged a dharna against the power hike, TRS floor leader Etala Rajender said that the increase in power tariff has hit the common man who is already burdened with inflation and increasing prices of essential commodities. He said that TDP did not return to power after it affected a hike in power tariff and Congress too would face a similar fate if it fails to roll back the hike.

Earlier, the TRS activists led by Etala, MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and former MLA N Narasimha Reddy staged a massive protest at Vidhyut Soudha. Police foiled the attempt by some TRS workers who tried to barge into the Vidhyut Soudha premises. Later, all the leaders and workers were taken into custody by the police.

A few minutes after the TRS workers were arrested, about 500 workers of YSR Congress party led by Bajireddy Govardhan workers arrived at the Vidhyut Soudha and staged dharna. They too were taken into custody by the police.

The dual dharna led to a serious traffic jam on the Khairtabad road. Traffic was stranded up to Lakdikapul, Punjagutta and Somajiguda roads from the Khairtabad junction and it took several hours for the police to clear the traffic jam.