Delhi BJP legislators staged a sit-in near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Tuesday to protest against the recent hike in the city’s electricity tariff. Led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the legislators raised concerns over the fact that power tariff has been increased three times from what it was before 2014.
Electricity distribution companies in Delhi have increased the power purchase adjustment cost (PPAC) by more than nine per cent following approval by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), which would result in a hike in the monthly bills of consumers not getting subsidy.
The sit-in went on for several hours with the legislators chanting slogans against the Kejriwal-led AAP government. They demanded an immediate rollback of the tariff hike and accused the government of failing to provide any relief to the common people.
Responding to the protest, Kejriwal accused the BJP of trying to disrupt the peace of the city and said that the hike was necessary to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
The move has been criticized by several opposition parties, including the Congress, which accused the government of burdening the citizens with the increased cost of electricity.
However, the DERC defended its decision, saying that the hike was necessary to cover the increased cost of power purchase and to ensure the financial viability of the discoms.
The decision to raise power tariffs has been a contentious issue in Delhi for a while now, with several protests being staged demanding a rollback. The current protest by BJP legislators is just the latest in a series of such protests that the city has witnessed over the years.
While the government maintains that a tariff hike is necessary to ensure uninterrupted power supply, the opposition argues that it puts an unnecessary burden on the common people who are already struggling to make ends meet. With no signs of a resolution in sight, the issue remains a contentious one, with both sides continuing to hold their ground.
