SAD members protest over power tariff issue outside Punjab Assembly

The opposition Shiromani Aklai Dal on Thursday held a protest outside the Punjab Assembly over the issue of rising power tariff.

The protest came ahead of the start of the Budget session of the Punjab Assembly.

Leading the protest, senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the Congress government of putting additional burden on power consumers.

"Power is costliest in Punjab at this moment," claimed Majithia and added that when the SAD-BJP left the government, the power rate was much cheaper than what was now under the Congress-led regime.

The opposition party also brought some families, who had received steep power bills, to the protest site.

"The Congress had promised to provide electricity at Rs 5 per unit. But now, people are being charged Rs 9-10 per unit which was exorbitant, " said Akali leader Parambans Singh Romana.

The Akalis also accused the Congress ofstriking "underhand deals" with the management of private thermal plants which resulted in a loss or Rs 4,100 crore to the state exchequer.

Power rates in Punjab were hiked by 36 paise a unit from January 1 for domestic consumers.