Chennai, July 19 (Representative) The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) on Friday staged a protest demonstration condemning the ruling DMK for the recent hike in power tariff and demanded that it should be rolled back immediately as it would severely affect the common man. The demonstration, held at the Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore, was led by PMK President and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss. Senior party leaders, including former PMK President G.K.Mani, MLA, Legislators and PMK functionaries participated in the demonstration. They shouted slogans denouncing the DMK government for effecting the hike, immediately after the Vikravandi Assembly bye-election was held. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anbumani, also a former Union Minister, demanded its immediate rollback and also urged the government to introduce the monthly Billing system as promised by the DMK in the run up to the 2021 Assembly polls and came to power. The third hike in two years effected by the DMK regime has put the people to great hardship and that it should be revoked and the government should take steps to increase power generation using solar panels and other renewable energy systems. Attributing the losses due to corruption and poor administration, he said without setting them right and hiking the power tariff was unacceptable. Stating that the DMK government had no care for the people and effected the hike affecting the poor and the middle class, he said the reasons attributed by the TANGEDCO for the tariff increase was not acceptable. Observing that the hike was an attack on the poor people, he said increasing the power tariff on par with inflation was not acceptable as the people could not bear the burden.
Several political parties, including CPI-M, an ally of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, have announced protest demonstrations to condemn the hike in power tariff announced by the government and to demand that it should be revoked. After the PMK’s stir today, the Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) of actor-director Seeman will stage state-wide protests on July 21 to condemn the power tariff hike and to criticise the government over the increasing murder and robberies and deteriorating law and order. The agitation was also to condemn the murder of a NTK functionary in Madurai a couple of days back. The principal opposition AIADMK will organise a demonstration in all the 82 districts of the party across the State on July 23, while its ally the DMDK will stage a state-wide demonstration on July 25. The CPI-M will stage a demonstration across the State on July 25 demanding revoking the tariff hike and to condemn the Centre’s move allowing the hike based on the Consumer Price Index. The protests were also to demand the state government to introduce monthly billing system as promised by the DMK, in the run up to the 2021 Assembly polls. The EB tariff for almost all sections were hiked by 4.83 per cent with retrospective effect from July one on Monday, triggering opposition from various political parties and also by the MSMEs and several sectors. The hike was announced by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) and as per the consumer price inflation (CPI) and it would be applicable for both energy and fixed charges. As per the new tariff order, the slabs for domestic consumers have been increased in the range of 20 paise to 55 paise per unit. The hike was 20 paise per unit for minimum slab of 400 units bi-monthly, 30 paise for for 401-500 units slab, 40 paise for 501-600 units slab,45 paise for 601-800 units slab, and 50 paise for 801-1000 units slab. In the highest slab of above 1,000 units, the tariff was increased by 55 paise per unit.