DHAKUAKHANA: Chutia Yuva Sammilan Assam on Sunday opposed the proposed power tariff hike, alleging that it would impose an additional financial burden on consumers already facing rising prices, unemployment and limited incomes.
Its central president, Kaustav Kishore Chutia, said electricity was an essential daily service for every household and not a luxury item. Repeated tariff increases would further complicate the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people, he said.
“Imposing another burden of higher electricity charges on people struggling to make ends meet cannot be accepted,” Chutia said.
He alleged that despite collecting monthly electricity bills from consumers, Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) had failed to ensure uninterrupted and satisfactory power supply. Consumers continued to face frequent load-shedding, low voltage and unresolved complaints, he said.
Chutia said the government and APDCL should focus on providing improved, uninterrupted and consumer-friendly services instead of raising revenue through tariff hikes.
The organisation demanded immediate withdrawal of the tariff hike decision and sought disclosure of the reasons, financial details and a complete explanation for it. It also demanded special concessions for poor and low-income families, students and small traders.
It further sought reliable and quality power supply and said consumers and the public should be consulted before electricity tariffs are fixed.
Chutia warned that the organisation would launch a wider democratic protest against the decision if the government and APDCL did not urgently address its demands.
