UP power rate hike: Bharatiya Kisan Union to intensify stir

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has announced to intensify its stir against the unprecedented rise in power rates in Uttar Pradesh.

Leader and spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said the agitation would continue till the state provided respite to the people and farmers.

Senior leaders confabulated here today. BKU would announce its course of action tomorrow in a press conference.

UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) had on May 31 approved the new power tariff structure effecting over 30 per cent rise in the monthly power bills for the domestic, commercial and rural consumers.

Only industrial consumers had been exempted from this steep hike.

On June 3, UPPCL had issued a notification for the new power tariffs, which came into effect from June 10.

The fixed charge on power consumption load has been increased by Rs 10 from Rs 65 per kilowatt (Kw) to Rs 75 per Kw for domestic consumers.

The power tariff has been hiked from Rs 3.45 per unit to Rs 4 per unit for the first 200 units of consumption. Between 201 to 500 units of consumption, power tariff has been hiked from Rs 3.80 per unit to Rs 4.50 per unit. Beyond that, the power tariff has been hiked to Rs 5 per unit of consumption.

For rural unmetered consumers, the tariff has been hiked from Rs 125 per month to Rs 180 per month. For metered rural consumers, the fixed charge has been increased from Rs 15 per Kw to Rs 50 per Kw, while energy charge has been hiked from Rs one per unit to Rs 2.20 per unit.

Meanwhile, Avadhesh Kumar Verma, the president of UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, the power consumers' body at the forefront of the anti-power tariff hike stir, called upon Tikait seeking BKU support.