"We demand that the government withdraw its proposal, and if it does not yield, we will intensify our agitation," said party senior leader Dr M V Mysura Reddy.
Describing the state-wide dharna against the hike in power charges as a success, YSR Congress party has demanded that the government withdraw the proposal to increase the power tariff, failing which, the party will intensify the agitation.
"The government's proposal to increase the power charges even after imposing a surcharge is totally not acceptable, and the one-day dharna our party has undertaken was a huge success. We demand that the government withdraw its proposal, and if it does not yield, we will intensify our agitation," party senior leader Dr M V Mysura Reddy told reporters here on Wednesday.
The state has sent a proposal to the Regulatory Commission to nett Rs. 13,000 crores in addition to the surcharges it has imposed. While the surcharge for 2008-09 is pending with the Supreme Court, it is collecting Rs. 6,000 crores for the years 2010-11, 2011-12, and it will be collected till 2014.
"The power crisis in the state has been of its own making as it had failed to check the situation. Centre increasing the coal price to match the global prices has been a wrong policy which only benefited the private players who got coal-block allotments," said Mysura.
"With a shortage of coal, the power production was not encouraging. The second reason is that the governments at the state and the Centre diverting our share of gas to other states, Ratnagiri Power station in particular. With gas being diverted and coal prices hiked, the power production has come down, and the government should be blamed for it", he said, adding that the party will intensify agitation if Congress does not withdraw the proposal to hike power charges.
Meanwhile, at the main dharna held at Kurnool, Party Honorary President Y S Vijayamma addressing a big gathering came down heavily on the Congress for increasing power charges and other fares burdening the agriculture, industrial and other sectors affecting all sections of the society.
The Congress has scrapped all the welfare schemes of YSR and has been replaying the scenario of nine-year TDP rule which drove farmers and weavers to commit suicide, lamented Vijayamma. "Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed us to take up the cause of the people, and YSRCP will be with the people always," she said.
She also flayed TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu for his theatrics and the celebration of 100 days record of padayatra. He has many other dubious records as he did not win a single by-election during the past three years, and lost deposits in half the elections along with two MP seats, mocked Vijayamma.
She sought the blessings of the people in the signature campaign the party had taken up to mobilize public opinion against the harassment of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and teach a fitting lesson to Congress and TDP when the time comes.
Elsewhere, the party leaders and cadre held rastao rokos, dharnas and picketed sub-stations.
In Ranga Reddy district YSRCP leaders picketed the sub-station at Shankarampalli, Maheshwaram while they held demonstrations at Kodada, Tungaturthi and Bhuvanagiri substations in Nalgonda district.
Party leaders Jenna Reddy and Mahender Reddy led the protest at Mahbubabad, while dharnas were also held at Narsampet and Lakkepalli.
In Karimnagar district, farmers held a rasta roko at Uppal in Kamalapur madal. Adi Srinivas led the dharna at Vemulawada and YSRCP leader K K Mahender Reddy and his followers participated in the protest rally at Sircilla. Party leader Putta Madhu (Mantani) and Singireddy Bhaskar Reddy (Husnabad) also led the picketing of sub-stations.
At Tuni in East Godavari and Mylavaram in Krishna district party leaders held dharnas. Former MLA J Ramesh babu participated in the dharna.
Party workers stormed Kavali and Dhrmavaram sub stations in Nellore district, Achampet sub-station in Guntur, Addanki in Prakasam and Thambapalli in Chittoor and Lepakshi and Madakasira in Ananthapur districts. (INN)