Priyanka Gandhi demands 50 % waiver in electricity bills for farmers in Uttar Pradesh

A day after hundreds of Congress activists were arrested by the UP police for protesting against the soaring power bills and corruption in the state, Priyanka Gandhi issued a statement demanding a slew of reliefs for the farmers.

Saying that the whole state is reeling under the terror of the increase in power bills, Priyanka asserted that in the last few years there has been a constant rise in power bills in the state.

“In the last eight years, while domestic consumers recorded 500 percent increase in bills, urban domestic consumers saw an increase of 84 percent and farmers recorded an increase of 126 percent,” said Priyanka.

Highlighting the inflation, Priyanka said that at a time when small and medium businessmen and farmers have lost their means of income, increased power bills are putting extra burden on them. “They cannot tolerate it anymore,” said the Congress general secretary in charge of UP.

Demanding that farmers be given electricity at subsidised rate – half of the current rate – and small and medium industries be also given relief in power bills, Priyanka demanded action against people responsible for the ‘electricity meter scam’.

“Truth of the electricity meter scam must be uncovered, and action should be taken against those responsible for the scam,” said Priyanka.

Hundreds of Congress activists were arrested by the UP police in Lucknow on Thursday when they staged a protest against increased power bills.

In March this year, Priyanka had written to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking waiver of power bills of farmers for four months. She had also demanded waivers on bank loans and power bills of small and medium industries in the state, which are considered the backbone of the economy.