Lucknow: BJP today expressed dissatisfaction over the UP government's proposed move to raise the power tariff and staged a walkout from Legislative Council.
During the Question Hour, leader of BJP Hriday Narin Dixit asked the chief minister that whether a decision to hike power tariff was taken and if yes, then what was the logic behind it when the supply was not satisfactory.
In reply, Minister of State for Energy Yasir Shah said that a proposal regarding hike in power tariff was pending before the UP State Electricity Regulatory Commission and there was a need to do so as huge losses were estimated.
Dixit, however, said that the internal expenditure of the UP Power Corporation was very high and line losses were 27 per cent and by checking these two things, power could be supplied at the current rates.
He asked, “whether the government would announce that the tariff would not be hiked till the time it improves the system?”
Shah said that a decision regarding the hike in power tariff falls under the purview of the SERC.
Leader of the House Ahmad Hasan said that BJP was in power at the Centre and if it provides power to the state at cheaper rate, tariff would be reduced.
Dissatisfied with the government's reply the BJP members walked out of the house