By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 25, 2015 :

The power tariff hike by Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has snowballed into a major political issue in Odisha.

The opposition Congress and BJP has began a campaign to compel the ruling BJD for the rollback of the electricity rates or face statewide agitation.

The opposition parties, on Wednesday, made their intention clear on the issue when the stalled the Assembly seeking an immediate reply from the state government as to why the electricity rates were hiked without taking the House into confidence.

“The Assembly is very much in session. On Monday, the House debated and passed the budget estimate of the energy department. Energy minister Pranab Prakash Das did not drop any hints about of the power tariff hike. Just a day after on Tuesday, OERC announced increase in electricity rates. This is completely betrayal of the established constitutional practices,” Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra told reporters soon after the House was adjourned following turmoil over the issue during the question hour.

As soon as the question hour began, the Opposition lawmakers were up on their feet raising slogans and waving placards condemning the hike.

As the Congress and BJP members rushed near the Speaker’s’ podium and created a ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12.30 pm.

Speaker Niranjan Pujari had to adjourn the House a second time till 3 pm after normalcy could not be restored even after the resumption at 12.30 pm.

“The Opposition had requested the Speaker for the suspension of the question hour and a debate on the adjournment motion we had moved on the power tariff hike issue. But he did not accept our demand. The Congress will continue to raise the issue that affects lakhs of electricity consumers in the state,” Mr Mishra said.

BJP Legislature Party Leader Basant Panda said his party would not relent until the power tariff hike decision was rolled back.

“It is most unfortunate that the tariff hike was announced outside at a time when the House was in session. Our fight for rollback of the decision will continue both inside and outside the Assembly,” Mr Panda added.

The BJD, however, defended the decision.

“The hike was not proposed this year. It is an old demand which was rejected both in 2013-14 and 2014-15. But a little hike in tariff had become unavoidable due to the mounting arrears of Gridco to bulk power supplier National Thermal Power Corporation and certain other compelling factors,” senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress had staged a demonstration against the hike at Master Canteen Square here.