Don’t pay enhanced power bills: Capt
Wednesday, 25/07/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120725/punjab.htm#3
Exhorting Congress workers and the people of Punjab not to pay enhanced power bills, the PCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, today said the cash-starved Punjab Government was planning to further burden the people with more taxes to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.
“We won’t let this happen. I ask my party workers and the people of Punjab not to pay the bills at the enhanced rates from retrospect effect. Extra tariff with retrospective effect is unjustified and illegal,” warned Amarinder.
“Punitive power tariff hike and enhancement of taxes is no solution to the worsening financial situation. Exorbitant taxes can only cripple the economy and no investor will come to Punjab,” he said.
Addressing a state-level demonstration here today to protest against the power tariff hike and additional surcharge on sugar and mobile sets, the PCC chief said the state was bankrupt and, hence, had started imposing taxes on the people.
Among senior Congress leaders at the dharna were Arvind Khanna, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Kewal Dhillon, Ashwani Sekri, Rana Gurjit Singh, Tejinder Bittu, Jagmohan Singh Kang, Fateh Jang Bajwa, MP Ravneet Bittu, Sangat Singh Giljian, Rajneesh Bubby, Arun Walia, Lalli Majithia, Jagbir Brar, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Gurkirat Kotli and Hardayal Kamboj.
Lashing out at the new taxes, Amarinder said the entire exercise was “directionless”. He said instead of burdening the poor with more taxes, the government should widen the tax base.
He said instead of encouraging investment, the government was taking retrograde measures like raising Operation Bluestar Memorial, creating a sense of insecurity among the people. While disagreeing with Home minister P Chidambaram that terrorism could return to Punjab, the Punjab Congress chief said: “In such a state of uncertainty, nobody will be ready to invest in Punjab”, he warned. Amarinder questioned the sincerity of the government in providing free power to farmers.
“The farmers are being provided free electricity only in name. In fact, they are not getting power at all and have to rely on diesel engines for watering their fields, spending Rs 8,000 more per acre. The farmers are ready to pay electricity charges if supplied power round the clock,” he claimed.
