CICU opposes power hike move

Reacting to a media reports that Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking (CICU) today voiced its opposition to the reported move of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to increase the electricity tariff from June.

Avtar Singh,general secretary of CICU,said the chamber had already brought it to the notice of the chairman,Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Authority (PSERC),that instead of hiking the electricity tariff,the PSEB should be told to set its own house in order by reducing the transmission and distribution losses,reducing the strength of he employees,reducing the transit loss of coal and curbing the menace of power theft.

Instead,the board keeps taking an easy way out by hiking the power tariff every now and then instead of following the directions given by the PSERC,rued Singh. He said the industry was already passing though recession and would not be able to bear this extra burden. Avtar Singh,general secretary,and Upkar Singh,joint secretary of the chamber,requested the chairman,PSERC,not to increase the tariff.