Aam Aadmi Party on Friday held a dharna in from of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited office at Patiala against the decision of Punjab government to hike the electricity tariff by 9.33%. AAP state president Bhagwant Mann, the leader of opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, State co-president Aman Arora, other MLAs and office bearers were also present during the dharna.Addressing the gathering, Bhagwant Mann said that the Congress government in state has failed at every front and people are fed up with the anti-people policies of government within just 6 months of formation of government. He said that the minister and leader of Congress are indulged in corrupt activities and common people are forced to pay the price of it. Mann said that Amarinder Singh must learn from Kejriwal to implement pro-people policies for the welfare of people of the state. Mann said that rather than waiving off debt of farmers, Congress government has hell bent to benefit its leaders. The minister themselves are acquire control of illegal trade in state. The government has forgotten the promises made to the people during election campaign.Sukhpal Khaira castigated Capt. Amarinder Singh for fleecing the people of Punjab through steep electricity tariff hike, increase in Market Committee and Rural Development fees, backdoor taxes on Entertainment and Professionals, proposed closure of 800 Government Primary Schools to save money etc.
Khaira said, that a government which was voted to power barely seven months ago on the basis of lofty electoral promises, has now embarked upon the draconian path to teach its own people a lesson by burdening them severely with multiple taxes. Khaira while elaborating took to task the Captain government on the recent massive hike in electricity tariff ranging between 7-12 percent. Khaira said instead of fulfilling its promise to give relief to industry by offering them Rs. 5 per unit, the government has now burdened all sectors of domestic, commercial as well as industry. Khaira said the hike comes at a time when people are faced with increasing inflation, slow growth rate and recession. He said it was saddening to note, that the government hasn’t spared even the poorest of the poor by increasing their tariff as well. And the worst part is, that the hike has been implemented with retrospective effect i.e. 1st April 2017, something never mentioned by the government during the budget session held in June.Aman Arora said that the government has recently increased the Market Committee and Rural Development fees from 1% to 3% to mop up Rs. 900 crore, which will further burden the farmers who are committing suicides in large numbers. Arora also condemned the levying of Entertainment and Professional tax which is against the principle of GST, “one nation one tax”.He urged Captain Amarinder Singh to immediately roll back the huge electricity tariff hike and other backdoor taxations, to save people the agony of economic burden and inflation.AAP MLAs Sarabjeet Kaur Manuke, Baljinder Kaur, Nazar Singh Manshahiya, Meet Hayer, Pirmal Singh Dhaula, Jagdev Singh Kamalu, Principal Budhram, Kultar Singh, Amarjeet Singh Sandoa, Dalbir Dhillon, Baldev Azad, Dr. Balbir Singh, Karan Tiwana, Gian Singh Mungo, Tajinder Mehta, Palwinder Kaur and other leaders were also present during the dharna.