GS Paul
Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, July 23
Youth Congress activists, led by their Punjab unit chief Vikramjit Singh Chowdhary, today staged a protest against increase in power tariff in the state outside BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu’s house here today.
Though Sidhu was not present, Youth Congress workers met his wife and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu and apprised her of the ruling combine’s inability to fulfill the promises made in its manifesto.
They also handed over a kerosene lamp and a fan to Dr Sidhu to lodge their protest against inadequate power supply in the state.
Vikramjit Chawdhary said the faulty policies of the ruling alliance have made the life of a common man miserable. He lambasted the government’s failure to provide 8-hour power supply. “Instead, it has increased the tariff arbitrarily which was not justified especially when the common man is already feeling the pinch of inflation. We will stage protests in all the 13 parliamentary constituencies”, he said.
The Youth Congress activists demanded tariff hike rollback failing which they will gherao the residences of the Chief Minister and Deputy CM.
Strongly condemning levying VAT on sugar and petrol, Vikramjit Chawdhary said, “Post elections, the government has shown its true colour. The SAD government in its manifesto had promised to generate employment opportunities or extend unemployement allowance within a span of 100 days of the formation of the government, but it’s nowhere in sight. Similarly, the shagun scheme for poor girls was promised to be doubled and laptops were promised to be given to higher secondary students. None of the proposed schemes were fulfilled by the government,” he said.
Reacting over it, CPS Dr Sidhu said, “The ruling combine’s promise to become self-reliant in power generation was to be fulfilled by 2013-2014 and we are committed to it. For other matters, it is the UPA-led Centre government which devoid the state of its due and always adopt discriminatory attitude when it comes to extending the state package. The industry can only prosper, if due subsidy is granted by the Centre as done in Haryana, which has became self-sufficient only after getting Centre’s assistance”, she said.
The Communist Party of India staged a protest against the Punjab Government for power cuts and raising the tariff in the Chheharta area today.
The CPI activists also burnt an effigy of the government to lodge their protest.
Amarjeet Singh Asal, district secretary, CPI, said, “The increase in power tariff has upset the common man. It has come at a time when the state is already realing under unscheduled power cuts.” The party demanded rollback of tariff hike.
