Voice of Electricity Workers April-June 2002 Index
ANDHRA PRADESH Roll back power tariff hike, AP Opposition demands
Criticizing the ruling Telugu Desam Party for the increase in power tariff,
opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday demanded the state
government to roll back the hike saying "reforms should bring in relief and not
burden the common man". The discussion veered round the alleged inefficiency of
the state government, its surrender to World Bank terms, and demand for a
rollback of power tariff hike as the burden on agriculture and domestic sectors
was unbearable. Y S Rajsekhar Reddy (Cong), Haribabu(BJP) and N Narsimaiah
(CPI-M) said, the state projected Rs. 1,700 crore as subsidy in the demands on
power in budget and has went back now pegging it at Rs. 1,509 crore. "If the
subsidy is given as agreed, the hike could be covered under it," they contended
and demanded the government should think in terms of free power to farmers in
drylands. The power tariff during the seven year power to farmers in drylands.
The power tariff during the seven year TDP rule was hiked five times, they said,
adding reform should provide relief to common man and should not burden people".
300 POWER EMPLOYEES ARRESTED
About 300 employees and engineers of APTRANSCO,
APGENCO and DISCOMS were arrested by the police from inside the premises of
Vidyut Soudha when they were about to commence their relay hunger strike there
in support of their demands.
They were arrested in batches amid drama with
heavy police bandobust and taken away to Punjagutta, Banjara Hills and Nampally
police stations. Among those arrested were joint Action Committee leaders and 15
women employees.
While the police were silent about the provisions under
which they were arrested, P.V.V. Satyanarayana, secretary-general of the Joint
Action Committee of the APTRANSCO, APGENCO and DISCOMS employee unions and
associations, found fault with the arrest.
He said an advance notice for the
agitation was served on the management over 19 days ago and a special request
seeking permission for today's hunger strike camp was made on Tuesday.
Responding to the request, the management served a memo this morning and quoting
a clause under service rules, disallowed any form of demonstration inside the
premises. "Use of this particular clause is untenable as we have not coerced the
management. All we want is negotiations on our demands."
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