AGARTALA, May 21 (TIWN): When the state’s legal consumers are made to pay thousands of rupees for using electricity in their homes, the illegal hookline users are enjoying the free electricity in their homes and factories throughout the state. Thanks to the encouragement of hookline connectivity by the ruling CPI(M) with the sole intention of appeasement of the illegal users.

 The ruling CPI(M) is  allegedly encouraging hookline connection at the cost of the tax payers’ money only to keep their vote bank intact feel the political analysts here. 

The fact that the legal consumers of the state electricity corporation are made to pay electric bills at an excessively high rate for the sake of the illegal consumers has no impact on the state power minister Manik Dey.

It may be mentioned here that the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) had increased the per unit rate of electricity in the state citing higher purchase rate recently. The consumers are even paying Rs. 8 for every unit of the electricity consumed in domestic lines and more than Rs. 10 per unit in commercial lines.

The disclosure of TSECL CMD of the fact that fifty percent of the raised electric bills throughout the state are not being paid by the consumers in a meeting on Monday here at the Pragna Bhaban has raised some very vital questions in the minds of the legal consumers of the state. 

What action the TSECL is taking to get the money paid by the default consumers?

Why the corporation and the Govt. is not taking any action on the illegal hookline users of the state?

For how long the legal consumers will have to take the burden of the illegal users?

Will the Govt. take any step in order to minimise the per unit rate of electricity?

For how long the Govt. will continue with its policy of appeasement of the illegal consumers just for the sake of the vote bank?

These are the issues the Govt. has to address to pacify the irrate legal consumers of the state, feel the political analysts here.

“When the organisations like DYFI and SFI protest the hike of petrol and diesel why the same organisations keep mum when the prices of electricity are increased by the state Govt.?”, asks a consumers of the state electricity corporation with much frustration in his tone. “Even the opposition political parties are not doing anything to protest the price hike made by the TSECL, further cliams the consumer.