Left parties announce protests against Rajasthan government over power tariff hike

JAIPUR: Assailing the Rajasthan government for pushing inflation in the state, CPI-M today announced a series of protests to be held in March over power tariff hike, anti-labor laws and changes in MNREGA.

The CPI-M state unit will hold a massive protest-cum- demonstration outside Tehsildar and Collectors offices and would burn effigy of Rajasthan Chief Minister on March 2, CPI-M member Hannan Mollah and state secretary Amraram said at a press conference here.

In the second phase of the agitation, the party will hold a district level convention and protest against the BJP government's anti-people, anti-labour and anti-farmers policies, Mollah said.

The communist party has also planned a state level convention and protest in Jaipur on March 23, wherein party's functionaries would march to state assembly for submitting a memorandum demanding withdrawal of price hike on electricity, to review the amended labour laws and to re-start the Rs 25 subsidy on LPG cylinders, he said.

Amraram, a former MLA mentioned that the long-term agitations against the state government were planned in the two-day meetings of the party state unit.

Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission has recently revised power tariff in different categories, which will lead to an overall increase in revenue by Rs 4,498 crore for full financial year leaving a deficit of Rs 334 crore.

The energy charge for small domestic category having consumption of up to 50 units per month has been increased from Rs 3 per unit to Rs 3.50 per unit. In domestic category (51 to 150 units per month), per unit charges have been increased from Rs 4.65 to Rs 5.45.

In a statement CPI's state council secretary Tara Singh Siddhu demanded the Raje government to roll back power tariff as it was affecting all kinds of domestic and small scale industrial sector.

Siddhu warned that if the tariff hike was not withdrawn the CPI would also launch an agitation next month.