Don't bleat over electricity getting costlier, you charged without even providing it: Yogi Adityanath

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath on Sunday mocked the opposition hue and cry over “expensive” electricity, saying that there was no power supply in the past, yet the people had been charged.

Adityanath claimed there was no moral ground for the opposition parties grumbling over expensive electricity because these very ones had once charged people without even providing it.

“People of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are creating noise that electricity has become expensive. They should be asked on what morality were they charging people for electricity without even providing it in the first place,” the ANI news agency quoted the chief minister as saying.

The issue of 'costly' power has been an emotive issue for the poor and a major talking point in the political menu which can make or break electoral fortunes.

In June this year, the state government had announced to provide free electricity to urban families living Below Poverty Line (BPL) under the 'Power for All' agreement signed with the Centre.

While signing the pact, CM Adityanath had said the goal was to ensure 24-hour power to all by November 2018. The State Government had also vowed to ensure curbing power theft by installing smart meters.

In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched his government's Saubhagya Scheme for providing last-mile electrification, including in the remotest pockets of the country. It has asked all state governments and union territories to complete the task by March 31, 2019. It is anyone’s guess if it is incidental that deadline comes just ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.