Cancel true-up charges in electricity bills, demands CPM

Ongole: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Ongole unit demanded the government cancel the true-up charges as they are nothing but doubling the electricity bills for the poor people.

Speaking at the protest held near the Sagar Hotel centre here on Sunday, the CPM Ongole town secretary G Ramesh said that the government started fleecing the people with the true-up charges from August. He said that along with the fixed charges of Rs 10 per kilowatt, the government is imposing the true-up charges from Rs 1.27 per unit, which is nothing but doubling the unit charges for the poor. He said that the power companies are charging the customers for the use of electricity about four years ago and it is nothing but due to the privatisation of DisComs.

He said that due to the privatisation, there will be no subsidies to the public and the companies will impose hefty charges in the name of fixed charges, customer charges, electricity cess, true-up charge etc. He demanded the government to cancel the true-up charges or shoulder the burden for the public.

CPM leaders Tambi Srinivasulu, K Ramadevi, A Srinivasulu, Mahesh, Sriram Srinu, G Bheeshmachari and others also participated in the protest.