AAP to protest against power tariff hike in Madhya Pradesh from March 1

Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai said Delhi doesn't produce electricity but its tariff is lesser

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will launch an agitation throughout Madhya Pradesh from March 1 to protest against the government's reported move to hike the already costly power tariff by 12 per cent.

"In Madhya Pradesh, the power consumers are shelling out three times higher prices than Delhi. To add to it, plans are on to hike the electricity tariff by 12 per cent," Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai said.

Comparing the power tariff scenario in MP and Delhi, Rai said, "Power is generated in MP, whereas Delhi doesn't produce electricity, rather it buys energy for its people. Yet the tariff there is much less."

Rai alleged that the consumers were getting electricity at a higher cost in MP due to massive corruption in the power sector.

"Though MP produces electricity, the government buys costly power from private players and thereafter sells it at a very high cost to consumers," he alleged.

Giving details of AAP's state-wide protest, Rai the in charge of MP affairs said that his party is going to petition the power distribution offices in all the 230 assembly seats on March 1 to block the move to hike power tariff.

Thereafter on March 20, the party will stage protests in-front of Sub Divisional Magistrates' (SDMs) offices and petition them across the state.

"We are going to 'gherao' the MP Assembly over the electricity issue on March 27," Rai added.