Mass Protests Erupt in Assam Over Electricity Tariff Hike
Protests Against Electricity Price Increase
Protestors in Nalbari voicing against the price hike by APDCL (Image)
Guwahati/Nalbari, Nov 7: A wave of protests erupted across Assam on Saturday in response to the recent hike in electricity tariffs, with local branches of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leading demonstrations and calling for an immediate reversal of the new rates.
In Guwahati, student groups gathered near Shaheed Bhawan in Uzan Bazaar, where they burned an effigy representing the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) as a symbol of their discontent.
Kamal Mahanta, president of the All Guwahati Students Union, addressed the crowd, emphasizing that the increased electricity costs would further burden household finances.
“The government has overlooked how this decision affects everyday consumers. We will escalate our protests if these new charges are not rescinded,” he stated.
Similar protests took place in Ghograpar, Bokajan, Kalaigaon, and other regions, following a statewide call from AASU.
Demonstrators expressed that the tariff increase would exacerbate the financial strain on families already grappling with rising prices of essential goods.
They criticized the timing of the tariff adjustment and urged the government to reconsider its decision.
In Ghograpar, local student unions, along with members of the All Nalbari District Students’ Union, voiced their opposition to the tariff hike.
Hirak Jyoti Sharma, assistant general secretary of the district students’ union, appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for intervention, urging the department to retract the decision. Approximately 50 students participated in this protest.
In Bokajan, protesters directed their ire at APDCL and the state government regarding the proposed tariff increase, raising concerns about smart meters and an additional fuel charge of five paise per unit.
They challenged APDCL’s justification that the extra charges were necessary to recover revenue losses from recent floods.
One protester highlighted a reported loss of Rs 155.59 crore attributed to mismanagement by APDCL officials, questioning why consumers should shoulder this financial burden.
Protesters insisted that relief efforts, rather than increased electricity bills, should be prioritized in flood-affected areas.
In Kalaigaon, the local AASU unit blocked the Mangaldoi-Bhutiachang road in protest, claiming that smart meters had worsened financial hardships for consumers and demanding the immediate withdrawal of the revised charges, warning of a larger democratic movement if the decision remained unchanged.
On November 3, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the tariff increase was temporary and would be lifted once APDCL recouped its losses, assuring that the hike would not exceed five paise per unit.
The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) approved the revision, which took effect this month and is set to last for five months, according to the chief minister.