Chennai: The opposition AIADMK will conduct protest marches across Tamil Nadu on July 25 against the proposed power tariff hike in the state. The protests will be held at all district headquarters.
Tamil Nadu Power Minister Senthil Balaji on Monday announced that the state electricity board has proposed an increase in the power tariffs for all sections, including domestic, commercial, and industries. The state electricity board has already forwarded the proposal to the Tamil Nadu State Electricity Regulatory Authority for final clearance of the proposal.
The proposed power tariff hike in the state will happen for the first time since 2011.
The protest, according to the AIADMK, is against the burden that will fall on the people amid rising price rises of essential commodities. The party will also highlight the increase in the house tax, property tax, water, and drainage tax as also rise in prices of all essential commodities in the state.
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In a statement on Wednesday, the AIADMK interim general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said the demonstration would begin at all district headquarters at 10 a.m.
He said that the DMK government was taking the people for a ride and that even after the rising prices of essential commodities, the government hiking the electricity tariff was not acceptable and that the party would conduct strong protest marches in all district headquarters.
The CPI-M, which is part of the ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu, has also come out strongly against the proposed hike in power tariff. CPI-M state secretary K. Balakrishnan told the mediapersons that the hike in power tariff would lead to an additional burden on the people. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader, TTV Dhinakaran opposed the price hike and called upon the government to roll back the proposed increase.