Bhubaneswar,18th Aug 2025: The Congress has demanded that the Odisha government bear all electricity expenses of rural panchayats, Anganwadi centres, schools, government drinking water projects, and panchayat street-lighting systems.
The party further urged the withdrawal of the minimum energy charge of ₹20 per kilowatt, currently being levied, and insisted that the state government or the power distribution companies should bear all expenses related to smart meters. Since transmission and distribution losses have fallen from 41% to 17%, Congress claimed that per-unit electricity tariffs for consumers should also be reduced.
Addressing a press conference, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo alleged that there exists a “sweet deal” between Tata Power, which has taken over electricity distribution in Odisha, and the BJP-led state government. As a result, he said, consumers are facing rampant exploitation. Frequent unscheduled power cuts have made life miserable for citizens, he added.
Kanungo pointed out that although Odisha is the second-largest power producer in the country due to its coal and water resources, electricity tariffs in the state remain among the highest in India. While power is procured at ₹2.40 per unit, it is being sold at ₹7.60 per unit. He also demanded the abolition of additional levies collected by distribution companies in the name of “energy charges.”
He warned that under the leadership of PCC president Sarat Pattanayak, the Congress will intensify its agitation against these issues.
Among those present at the press conference were Congress spokespersons Prashant Satpathy, Nalinikanta Nayak, Debashish Bhuiyan, and Amrita Das.
