Bhopal, March 27 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Congress has launched a sharp offensive against the ruling BJP government, demanding immediate withdrawal of the proposed electricity tariff hike and relief for consumers.

Congress president of the Madhya Pradesh unit, Jitu Patwari, flayed the government’s decision to hike electricity tariffs by 4.80 per cent from April 1, describing it as a “direct assault on the pockets of the common people”.

He pointed out that tariffs in Madhya Pradesh have already risen by 22–24 per cent over the past decade, with domestic consumers facing steep increases in the 0–50 unit slab.

He also highlighted the additional monthly burden of the Fuel and Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS), which he termed a hidden tax on consumers. Patwari questioned why losses of electricity distribution companies are repeatedly cited as justification without accountability, alleging that mismanagement and corruption are being passed on to the public.

He dismissed the government’s touted 20 per cent concession on daytime EV charging as a “policy charade”, arguing that it benefits only a small fraction of consumers while the majority continue to suffer.

He added that farmers are already reeling under debt and crop failures, and the proposed hike would further aggravate their distress.

The power tariff hike will be effective from April 1 this year. In separate communications, senior Congress leader Kunal Chaudhary, AICC Secretary and former MLA, and state Congress president Jitu Patwari accused the government of imposing unjust financial burdens on ordinary citizens and farmers.

Chaudhary, in his letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, urged the government to extend the March 28 deadline for agricultural loan repayment, noting that wheat harvesting is incomplete and farmers have not yet sold their produce. He warned that forcing repayment now would trap cultivators in debt.

He also demanded waiver of punitive interest charges of nearly 18 per cent and criticised coercive electricity bill recovery drives, calling them “inhumane and undemocratic”.

Both leaders warned that the hike would worsen inflation, hurt small industries, and directly burden farmers, even as the government celebrates a “special year” for them.

Patwari demanded withdrawal of the hike, a transparent review of surcharges, an independent inquiry into utility losses, and a relief package for the poor and middle class.

The Congress has signalled that if the government does not roll back the decision, it will launch a statewide agitation “from the streets to the legislative assembly”.

--IANS

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