Cong to take up ‘escalated’ power bills in assembly
Saturday, 07/09/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130907/punjab.htm#8
Ludhiana : Opposition leader Sunil Jakhar today came to the rescue of beleaguered small scale industry in Ludhiana on the issue of “escalated” electricity bills. The power consumers in both the non-domestic and domestic sectors have been asked to shell out an amount that's almost three times their average electricity bills this time as advance consumption deposit charges have been levied on the consumers.
Jakhar said the Congress would take up the issue of escalated power bills with the state government and also raise it in the Vidhan Sabha.
“Burdening the consumers by levying advance deposit charges on them is not acceptable to the Congress,” he said while talking to mediapersons in Ludhiana today.
Coming down heavily on the state government for its "anti-industry policy", the Congress leader said the “escalated” electricity bills were sounding the death knell for small-scale industries.
“Already, the power tariff is higher in Punjab as compared to neighbouring states like Haryana,” said the CLP leader while reeling off the comparative details of power tariff in the two states. "In the domestic category, the power tariff up to 100 units is Rs 4.56 per unit in Punjab while the tariff up to 40 units is Rs 2.98 in Haryana. In the non-domestic sector, the tariff per unit for arc furnace is Rs 6.33 in Punjab while the same in Haryana is Rs 5.30," he said.
The CLP leader flayed the state government for "not notifying the industrial policy". The government's "lopsided economic policies" had created a wedge between the industry and the agriculture sector, he said. "The state government is desperate to fix up its empty coffers. Funds released by the Centre are being diverted to pay up pensions. The people are reeling under the burden of warped fiscal policies of the state government,” Jakhar said.
Commenting on the state government's attempt to show ‘Shining Punjab’, Jakhar said, “How can a PowerPoint presentation (by the state government) help an impoverished old woman from a village? The (economic) growth rate means nothing till it translates into the well being of the people."
