Left parties plan phased stir

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 2. As part of the phased agitation against the hike in power tariff, nine left parties have called for picketing all electricity and Government offices on June 5 and a rasta roko programme between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on June 16.

A signature campaign would be carried out between June 6 and 12 and postcards and telegrams would be despatched to the Governor, Dr.C. Rangarajan. Effigies of the World Bank and the Chief Minister, Mr.N. Chandrababu Naidu, would be burnt in the villages on June 13.

The protest programme was decided at a meeting of the leaders of the nine parties -- the CPI(M), the CPI, the CPI(ML-New Democracy), the CPI(ML-Jana Shakthi Initiative), the CPI(ML- Janashakti), the MCPI, the CPI(ML-Liberation), SUCI, and ML committee.

Addressing a press conference on behalf of the nine parties, the CPI(M) state secretary, Mr.B.V. Raghavulu, the CPI State secretary, Mr.S. Sudhakar Reddy, said the agitation would go on till the raised tariffs were rolled back completely. Partial rollback being proposed by the Government was unacceptable.

Mr.V. Venkatramaiah (CPI-ML New Democracy), Mr.V. Vijayakumar (CPI-ML Janashakti initiative), Mr.M.V. Prasad(CPI-ML Janakshakthi), Mr.B.N. Reddy (MCPI), Mr.B. Bangarraju(CPI (ML Liberation) and Mr.E.P.A. Rasheed (SUCI) were also present at the press conference.

They said the Government's attempts to placate the agitated people by offering some relief in the tariffs to different categories was eyewash. It was ``farcical'' on the part of the Chief Minister to feign innocence and blame the A.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) for the hike.

Mr. Raghavulu said the APERC, which was constituted at the dictates of the World Bank should be scrapped. The left parties would not join the Congress-sponsored stir as that party was not opposed to reforms in the power sector, he said. Mr.B.N. Reddy, ex-MP, said the Deputy Speaker, Mr.K. Chadrasekhara Rao's letter to the Chief Minister reflected the stiff opposition within the ruling TDP to the hefty hike in power tariff.

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