Mahavikas Aghadi government has imposed 13 per cent hike in electricity rates overburdening the common man, lamented Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former Power Minister, on Monday.
This is the biggest hike in the history of Maharashtra, he said while interacting with media persons. He said that the ministry increased the electricity rates in order to cover up the additional expenditure incurred on projects by MSEDCL, MSETCL and MSHAGENCO during December to February. The Power Ministry is now trying to recover this excess expenditure through electricity bills of common man, he remarked.
The people will have to bear 25 per cent in industrial sector and 15 per cent per unit rise. He drew attention towards mistakes in the coal policy adding that Devendra Fadnavis Government had made planning for coal properly that freed Maharashtra from load shedding,
The Power Ministry has no policy on coal. The coal distribution companies were advising MSEDCL to make stock of coal but it failed to do so. Now, the emergency situation has come up and it has to purchase power by paying more money. Unfortunately, the common man has to suffer for this. Bawankule advised the ministry to make provision for expenditure from Revenue Department and reduce the burden on common man