'Electricity tariff hike a gift to people': AIADMK leader Sellur Raju slams DMK govt

Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 18 (ANI): All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Sellur Raju slammed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government for increasing the electricity tariff and said that the MK Stalin-led government has given the electricity tariff hike as a "gift" to the people who voted for the DMK in 40 constituencies in the last parliamentary election.
Earlier on July 16, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) said that it has been compelled to increase the electricity tariff to cover increasing financial loss.
"The DMK government, in its tenure, has increased the electricity tariff three times. They have given the electricity tariff hike as a gift to the people who voted for the DMK in 40 constituencies in the last parliamentary election," the AIADMK leader said addressing a press conference on Wednesday.
The AIADMK leader further said that they are afraid to walk on roads in Madurai because political leaders are being assassinated.
"The political leaders are not safe in Tamil Nadu. On behalf of AIADMK, we are going to hold a protest across Tamil Nadu against the hike in electricity charges and the assassination of political leaders," he said.
"The people of Tamil Nadu are ready to overthrow the DMK government. AIADMK will win the upcoming assembly elections and come back to power," he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, four people were arrested after a party worker of the Naam Tamilar Katchi Party was hacked to death in Madurai's BB Kulam.
Balamurugan was hacked to death while walking in Madurai's BB Kulam area on Tuesday morning, Police Commissioner Loganathan stated.
The state power distribution company said that the total financial loss of the Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation, which was Rs 18.954 crore in 2011-12, increased to Rs 94,312 crore in the last 10 years, TANGEDCO said in a press release.'
The release said that Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation has been forced to take loans from financial institutions and banks due to non-commitment in the past, like the current Tamil Nadu government's commitment of 100 per cent government absorption from 2021-22.
As a result, the loan amount of Rs 43,493 crore to Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation and Power Network Corporation in 2011-12 has increased three times in the last 10 years to Rs 1,59,823 crore till (2021-22).
Meanwhile, opposition party leaders like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President Annamalai condemned the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led Tamil Nadu government for the power tariff hike. (ANI)