Biswajit Daimary. File.
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| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar
Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary has invited flak from the Opposition Congress for advising people to sit under a tree if they cannot afford to use fans.
His advice followed the criticism against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for frequently increasing power tariffs in the State.
“Do not switch on the fans if you cannot afford to. Sit under a tree instead,” Mr. Daimary said.
He justified his statement by saying that the government buys electricity from companies and is compelled to increase the tariff when the power suppliers inflate the price.
Mr. Daimary asked people not to make this an issue and utilise power judiciously to keep their bills to a minimum.
‘Back to Stone Age’
Assam Congress president, Bhupen Kumar Borah slammed the Speaker for trying to take Assam back to the Stone Age.
“Our forefathers sat under a tree to enjoy the breeze but the Congress rule ushered in the era of living under lights and fans for relief from the summer heat. Will the BJP now make us go back to the Stone Age?” he asked.
Mr. Borah also criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for using helicopter frequently in a financially unsound State where the people have been struggling due to rising power tariffs.
The State Congress working president, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha alleged the Chief Minister’s faulty policies were the reasons for the fiscal mess Assam was in today.
“Will the government, taking the cue from the Speaker’s advice on dealing with the rising power tariff, advise the people to skip a meal daily in order to fight inflation?” he asked.
The Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd recently levied additional charges of 30 paise to 70 paise per unit for its consumers to clear outstanding dues to power-generating agencies. The All Assam Electricity Consumers’ Association, Opposition parties, and various organisations are against the additional charges.