Aam Aadmi Party to ‘gherao’ Punjab CM Capt Amarinder's residence over high power tariff

In a statement here, the AAP leaders said that every section of society was passing through economic hardships due to the anti-people policies of the government, saying that the Punjab cabinet’s decision to jack up the electricity tariff further by 36 paise per unit from January 1, would crush the common consumer.

Power tariff in the state, the MLAs said, was already on the higher side compared to other states of the country, despite being a state power surplus state.

Citing an example of the Delhi government, they said that it did not produce a single unit of electricity, but was providing cheaper electricity to the people there, saying that 22 lakh families were getting electricity bills worth zero rupee.

The AAP leaders said that the Supreme Court had imposed a fine of Rs 1,424 crore on two of the three private thermal plants operating in the state, stating the government was raising the tariff by 36 paise per unit from the people to be paid the two private players, which the AAP would not tolerate at any cost.

They threatened that if the Government in the saddle did not desist from hiking the tariff from January 1, the AAP would lay a siege at the Chief Minister's residence on January 7.