Making light of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's announcement of providing relief to consumers by way of direct subsidy on power, BJP leader Sushil Modi today said there had been a rise of 36 per cent to 80 per cent in electricity rates announced today as compard to last fiscal.
The announcement to pay subsidy directly to consumers is like "khoda pahad nikali chunhiya (infinitesimal result after much effort)," Modi said in a statement here.
Modi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council, claimed actually power tariff increased f between 36 per cent to 80 per cent.
"This is the highest increase in one go in the last 15 years, which the BJP would protest after consulting its NDA allies in the state," the BJP leader said.
He alleged that due to "inefficiency" of power companies inspite of government subsidy, people of the state have to bear a burden of Rs 1,748 crore.
"Bihar Electricity Regulation Commission has estimated a cost of Rs 4,700 crore after applying its new subsidy-less tariff. The state government has announced a subsidy of Rs 2,952 crore to consumers in 2017-18 that means the rest Rs 1,748 crore would fall on citizens," he said.
Highlighting big increase in electricity tariff, Sushil Modi said the rate for Kutir Jyoti BPL consumers was Rs 1.70 per unit previously which now after subsidy would be Rs 2.50 a unit in 2017-18, an additional burden of 80 paisa per unit.
Likewise for domestic consumers in rural areas Rs 1.25 per unit has been increased in new fiscal (from Rs 2.10 a unit to Rs 3.35 per unit).
Modi said the state government should have rationalised power tariff in phases to make it at par with neighbouring states.
He said that his party would stage protest across the state along with its NDA allies against the hike in electricity charges.
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