YSRCP protests against power tariff hike in Tirupati

YSRCP leaders protest power tariff hike in Tirupati district, accusing CM Chandrababu Naidu of burdening the public unfairly.

Leaders of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) took out demonstrations across Tirupati district on Friday (December 27) against the hike in power tariff.

Led by party Tirupati district president and former MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, YSRCP leaders took out a protest rally from his Padmavathipuram residence to A.P. Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) headquarters. Police, however, put up barricades and prevented them from staging a demonstration in front of the office.

Accompanied by Member of Parliament (Tirupati) M. Gurumurthy, MLC Cipai Subramanyam, Mayor R. Sireesha Yadav and former deputy mayor B. Abhinay Reddy, Mr. Karunakar Reddy entered the office premises and submitted a representation to the officials, appealing for a reduction in the tariff hike.

Speaking to the media outside later, Mr. Karunakar Reddy accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of imposing a heavy burden on the public, reneging on the pre-election “tall promise” that the tariff would not be increased.

“Mr. Naidu had announced to ‘create wealth’, but nobody expected it to be done by hiking charges,” he said. He also took exception to the TDP-led alliance’s portrayal of the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy regime in a bad light to garner votes.

In Chandragiri, party in-charge Chevireddy Mohith Reddy led cadre in a procession from the Tower Clock to the assistant executive engineer’s office and slammed the government for going back on its promise.