Opposition slams BJP govt over proposal to hike electricity

Opposition parties in Uttarakhand criticised the BJP-led state government on Thursday over the proposed hike in electricity and water rates and reduction in liquor prices. Taking a jibe at the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Karan Mahara said during the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, the liquor is getting cheaper but electricity and water are getting costlier.
“The government is giving hundreds of crores of rupees to private companies producing gas-based power in our state without generating a single unit of electricity. It is also roasting electricity and increasing its prices for the third time within a year, burdening the consumers,” he said. Similarly, the government has installed taps under the ‘Ghar-Ghar Nal, Ghar-Ghar Jal’ scheme, but there is hardly any water in them. People are paying water bills ranging from Rs 200 to 300 for water that comes after eight days, Congress leader said.
Naming a liquor brand, Mahara said now a new slogan has been raised in our state “Blender (liquor) cheap, cylinder (cooking gas) expensive”. He further criticised the government for not increasing the support price of sugarcane this year, saying that the decision is hurting farmers.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also attacked the government saying that the government is engrossed in celebrations while the general public is suffering from the brunt of the price rise. AAP’s state organisation coordinator Jot Singh Bisht said in a statement that since 2017, a debt of Rs 77,000 crore has been imposed on the state, crushing people under the burden of inflation. “The government is increasing the prices of electricity and water.