Cong MP Surjewala slams power tariff hike, leads Kaithal dharna with son

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, along with his son and Kaithal MLA Aditya Surjewala, staged a dharna at Jawahar Park on Sunday to protest the recent hike in power tariffs in Haryana. Accompanied by scores of party workers and residents, the protest culminated in a march to Pehowa Chowk, where a memorandum was submitted to an official for Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Launching a fierce attack on the BJP-led state government, Randeep Surjewala accused it of “robbing” the people of nearly Rs 5,000 crore annually through increased electricity rates. “In just three months, the Saini government has increased power rates by 67 paise per unit, ‘looting’ the people of the state,” he said.

He pointed out that power tariffs were earlier raised by 47 paise per unit on January 16, 2025, followed by another hike from April 1. “Instead of controlling inflation, the government is putting the burden on the people,” he added.

Breaking down the revised tariff structure, Surjewala explained that even modest households with a 2kW load (a fan and two lights) would now pay 20 paise more per unit for the first 100 units. Middle-class families with a 5kW load face hikes across slabs, including a Rs 250 monthly fixed charge and Rs 7.10 per unit for consumption above 500 units.

He criticised the steep rise in tariffs for higher consumption brackets and large households, noting that fixed charges have also increased significantly — up to Rs 450 per month and Rs 75 per kW.

Calling the tariff hike a “financial attack” on homes, small businesses, farmers, and religious institutions, Surjewala likened it to a modern-day “jaziya tax.” He said, “The so-called ‘zero-tax budget’ is a mockery. This is no less than state-sponsored loot.”

Demanding an immediate rollback, he warned of statewide protests. “If the BJP does not roll back the hikes, each and every Congress worker will protest to protect the people of Haryana,” he said.

Haryana Tribune