Guwahati, Oct 2: The Opposition Congress in Assam has decided to stage a state-wide agitation from Tuesday in protest against the hike in per unit price of electricity by Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) with effect from October.
“Our party will stage a series of protests at every block level on Tuesday, at panchayat level on October 4, and in every district headquarter on October 5 against the reckless and recurrent hike in power tariff,” APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.
APDCL had in a notice issued to power consumers in the state announced the increase in the per unit price of electricity with effect from October 2023 after a revision of the Fuel and Power Purchase Price Adjustment (FPPPA) rates.
According to the notification, the FPPPA rate has been revised to 30 paisa per unit up to 300 units for domestic consumers; 50 paisa per unit for consumption between 301 and 500 units; Rs 1.29 per unit for consumption more that 500 units. The FPPPA rate for other categories (commercial, industrial, etc) will be Rs 1.29 per unit.
“The latest tariff hike notice will be burned as a mark of protest. We pledge before the people of the state that the day Congress returns to power in Assam, every family will get 200 units of free electricity,” Borah said.
Criticising the incumbent state government, the state Congress president, said that BJP came to power by assuring 24-hour uninterrupted power supply. “However, now the entire state is suffering from severe power cuts/loadshedding. Assam requires 2600 megawatt electricity. However, it continues to produce 250 megawatt electricity as before,” the APCC chief said.
He further pointed out that despite APDCL registering profit of Rs 33,635 crore in September 2022, there has been a recurrent power tariff hike. “Government is allowing APDCL to make profits at the cost of public inconvenience by recurrent exorbitant power tariff hike,” he alleged.