Protest against hike in electricity charges in Shimla

0

HimVani

Shimla (Dec 30): On the call of the Shimla Nagrik Sabha, a strong protest demonstration was held outside the electricity office below the Ridge in Shimla today against the exorbitant hike in electricity tariff and MC’s proposal to increase the monthly charges for sanitation.

The convener of SNS, Vijender Mehra, local MC councillor Meera Sharma and others speakers of Nagrik Sabha lambasted the state government for mounting pressure on the common people by retrospectively hiking electricity tariff in the state.

They termed it as the real face of the present state government that vows of pro–people agenda and policies but actually does the exact opposite and affects the common man. They further asked the government to explain why despite being termed as power state the people are forced to pay high rates for electricity.

Mehra targeted the successive governments for their failure to ensure the rights of the state and hence the people whereby the potential of hydro power is being usurped either by national agencies or Independent Power Producers. The state has been sidelined.

He stated the decision of the government to hike electricity tariff has exposed the hollowness of the claims made by the government of its pro-people policies.

“Actually the government is bent to pursue the policies of neo-liberalism that passes on the cost of development on to the common man. The model of PPP is being adopted in the state which is actually a step towards privatization of all the essential services. And for this the government is charging the people with enhanced user charges. This exposes the claims of the present government,” he alleged.

The SNS has also ridiculed the Shimla MC with “anti-people proposal of enhancing the sanitation charges” under the SEHB society. It asked the MC to explain its intention to increase the user charges.

The Shimla Nagrik Sabha also alleged that MC was planning exorbitant hike in user chareges, which would not be acceptable to the people. The SNS threatened to launch a widespread movement against this.

It demanded immediate withdrawal of this society and demanded that there should be no charges for picking up garbage from domestic households as the resident themselves throw garbage in MC dustbins.

Previous articleVillages having population of 500 get road connectivity in Himachal
Next articleMercury plunges in Himachal

No posts to display