Delhi Congress Protests Power Tariff Hike by Discoms

Delhi Congress leaders and workers staged protests at over 55 locations against the power tariff hike by discoms. The demonstrators accused the AAP-led government of colluding with discoms to raise power tariffs, putting an additional financial burden on residents. The PPAC surcharge increased by up to 9% recently.

Delhi Congress leaders and workers staged protests at 55 locations across the national capital on Wednesday in response to a power tariff hike by discoms.

Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the protesters accused the AAP-led Delhi government of colluding with the discoms. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav addressed party workers and the public outside the Mandi House metro station, alleging that the Kejriwal government, which had promised to halve power rates, instead doubled them over the past decade through backdoor measures. Yadav stated that the power purchase adjustment charge (PPAC) had increased by over nine percent.

The Congress leader highlighted that during their regime, the average per unit rate was around Rs 5, which has now doubled to Rs 10. He claimed if Kejriwal had fulfilled his promise, the rate would have been Rs 2.50. The sharp rise in power tariff has financially burdened shopkeepers, industrial units, and households. Yadav accused the Kejriwal administration of allowing annual hikes in the PPAC surcharge, leading to an unbearable financial load on consumers over the past decade.

The PPAC is a surcharge meant to cover fluctuations in power purchase costs incurred by the discoms, increasing by 6.15% to 8.75% this year. Officials noted that the discoms have revised the PPAC surcharge to between 6.75% and 8.75%, driven by a rise in coal and other fuel prices used by generation companies.

(With inputs from agencies.)