DELHI

CPI(M) Agitates Against Power Hike

ACTIVISTS of Delhi state committee of the CPI(M) sat on dharnas at Sonia Vihar, Ajmeri Gate, Filmistan, Shakurpur, Badli, Kapashera, and Mayur Vihar Phase -1 on July 15 to protest against the recent power tariff hike effected by the Shiela Dixit government. The dharnas were addressed by Party state committee members and leaders of CITU, AIDWA and DYFI. On the same issue, the CPI(M) had oranised protest dharnas at five places in Delhi on July 11.

Speakers at the dharnas dubbed the tariff hike as a betrayal of the poor and middle class and demanded its immediate withdrawal. Tariffs have increased every year after privatisation but there is no improvement in the power situation, which is marked by long power cuts, faulty bills and low voltage supply in large parts of the city. The state government is shamelessly acting as an agent of private distribution companies. It subsidises their profits by robbing the people via repeated tariff hikes while deliberately ignoring the poor performance, corruption and violation of terms of agreement by these private companies.

Speakers also criticised the BJP’s hypocrisy in supporting policies of privatising civic facilities while simultaneously crying over their logical results like repeated and steep tariff hikes.

The speakers called upon the people to actively oppose this anti-people measure and announced that the CPI(M) will organise further protest actions in this regard on July 18, 2005.(INN)