Calling the government move to raise power tariff as an absolute waywardness, BNP on Wednesday threatened to put up a strong resistance if the regime does not rescind its decision.
“The BNP-led 19-party alliance will build a strong resistance if the power tariff hike proposals by the Power Development Board are implemented,” BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir warned in a statement.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Tuesday began a three-day public hearing on power tariff hike proposals recently placed by five state-owned electricity distribution companies.Fakhrul said the Awami League-led government imposed huge load of unusual electricity bills on the general consumers by increasing the power price in a number of phases since it assumed office in January, 2009.
“People close to the government have destroyed the power sector by plundering thousands of crore of taka in the name of setting up quick rental power plants. Now they’re hiking the power tariff for the ultra poor, lower middle-class and middle-class consumers,” he said.
Mentioning that the government instead of easing the sufferings of people is imposing the load of tax, the BNP spokesman said it seems that the government is out with its all-out efforts to make the poor hapless further and pauper.
He alleged that the current ‘illegal government’ is oblivious about people’s sufferings as it has no accountability to people. “They’re desperate and care little about anything.”
“The government is taking anti-people decisions one after another ignoring the interest of people as it has got completely isolated,” he added.
Opposition chief whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury on Wednesday asked the government to stop the move to raise power tariff at the retail level.
“I would like to request the government to stop this move immediately considering the plight of the low-income group people,” he said taking floor in Parliament on point of order.
He said that power price hike will put extra burden on the shoulder of marginal people.
Power Development Board (PDB) and West Zone Power Distribution Company (WZPDC) proposed increasing electricity tariff by 15.50 percent and 8.59 percent respectively.
In reply, the technical committee of the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) said the regulator might consider increasing the retail tariff by 6.66 percent on average for PDB customers and 7.51 percent for WZPDC customers.
Tajul said that the power tariff of the first three slabs mainly used by the poor have been proposed for increase to Tk 4.70 from Tk 3.33, to Tk 6 from Tk 4.73 and to Tk 6.25 from Tk 4.83 respectively.
But the higher slabs that are mainly used by the rich proposed for increase by only two paisa. “This is highly discriminatory,” he said adding that it should be stopped immediately. – UNB
