AAP impact: Congress MPs to protest to seek cut in power tariffs in Mumbai

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress MPs Sanjay Nirupam and Priya Dutt are planning to hold a protest seeking reduction in power tarriffs in Mumbai on Monday. They are expected to lead a protest march to the Reliance Energy office in the Kandivali suburb of Mumbai demanding a tariff subsidy for Mumbaikars.

Congress leaders are seemed to be following Aap Aadmi Party's government in Delhi which has cut power tariff for two lower slabs. In a veiled attack on the Maharashtra government, Nirupam had threatened to launch an agitation if a decision is not taken by the state government to provide subsidy. He had attacked his own government in Maharashtra saying, "If decision to provide subsidy is not taken by the government, I will launch an agitation."

Nirupam had asked, "If Delhi government can reduce the power tariff, then why can't it be done in Mumbai."

He had written a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan in this regard asking him to implement a scheme similar to that brought by the AAP government in Delhi. Nirupam said the Maharashtra Cabinet should also follow Delhi by slashing power tariff by half.

"Power tariff should be lowered. If Delhi Cabinet can pass such a populist scheme, why can't Chavan do the same," Nirupam had asked in his letter to the Chief Minister.

Chavan had replied saying, "GoM on power was constitued on November 19 and is already looking into the matter of providing further subsidy. Maharashtra government has already subsidised power for agriculture and power loom."

A Group of Ministers (GoM) on power set up by the Maharashtra government has already submitted its report to the Chief minister and has recommended an up to 20 per cent cut in power tariff across board.

The Congress leader had also called for investigation into cartelisation by private power companies to know whether the current electricity prices were justified. "Both Tata and Reliance have got into cartelisation of power in Mumbai," he had claimed.

Kejriwal had announced 50 per cent cut in power tariff and audit of power distribution companies in Delhi.