BJP tied our hands, can't reverse power price hike: Cong

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The information war over electricity intensified as the Congress pointed out that it was the BJP that hiked the electricity prices by Rs 2.89 per unit in Karnataka.

The party communications team released a video wherein Congress spokesperson Supriya Shinate claimed that their hands were tied and that they could not reverse the decision because of a rule imposed by the Centre.

Slamming the saffron party for their “moral and intellectual bankruptcy, ” she said, “On the 12 May, the BJP government under Bommai as chief minister took a decision to raise the tariff. The process had been going on since March and they passed the final order on May 12. Moreover, Congress won by a huge majority on May 13.”

“The question that is asked of us is why we can’t reverse this order. We can’t because the Modi government has tied our hands. In 2021, the ‘timely recovery of costs due to change in law’ was amended. In November 2021, the Modi government wrote to every state and told them that the distribution company should pass on the procurement cost of electricity to the consumer,” Shrinate said, adding that the change was mandatory in nature. She also alleged that the Gruha Jyoti Yojane already provided relief to nearly 99 per cent of electricity consumers in the state since they utilise less than 200 units of power on a monthly basis.

The state will calculate the average power use for the past 12 months by a potential beneficiary and add 10 percent to it and cap the free electricity at that mark. Moreover, people have to register to avail the scheme, the Congress spokesperson added.