Karimnagar: CPI demanded state government tormenting people with high power bills

Karimnagar: It is the responsibility of the State government to take measures to stop issuing of high electricity bills to relieve the people for financial problems, demanded CPI district secretary Ponaganti Kedari. Party district leaders and activists staged a dharna in front of the Superintending Engineer office of Electricity department here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Kedari said electricity bills were not collected for the past three months due to lockdown and now the staff are taking meter reading as on today. This changed slab rates and became a burden to poor and middle-class people, who used to pay just Rs 100 to Rs 150 as electricity bill, are now receiving bill amount in thousands of rupees. He alleged that the government ordered the power department officials to collect high amounts of bills without considering the financial problems of the people, who were jobless during lockdown.

Both State and Central governments are boasting of helping the poor through rice distribution, cash payments etc, but at the same time they are collecting double amount from them in the name of bills, Kedari criticised. He demanded that the government should stop issuing high electricity bills. Otherwise, CPI will launch movement with the public to teach the government a fitting lesson, he warned.

Party district joint secretary Koyyada Srujan Kumar, district committee executive members Boini Ashok, Katikareddy Buchanna Yadav, Gudenti Vasudev, Mutyala Srinivas Reddy, Bonagiri Mahendar, Kasi Reddy Manikanta Reddy, Bramandlapelli Yugundar, Machha Ramesh, Sriramulu Ramachandram and Nunavath Srinivas were present along with others.