Bhubaneswar: The ‘Northern Odisha Electricity Consumer Council,’ formed for electricity consumers of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, and Jajpur districts, convened a conference opposing the proposed electricity tariff hike. A strong warning was issued that if the government takes any decision regarding the hike, protests will be intensified.
Demands were made for immediate resolution of consumer grievances and the removal of private companies from electricity distribution. If these demands are not met, the agitation will be expanded across the five concerned districts.
Today’s conference, held at the Station Club in Balasore, was presided over by former MLA Pradipta Panda. Former Minister Prafulla Samal and former MLA Swarup Das attended the meeting and strongly opposed the proposed tariff hike.
Key Demands Raised in the Conference:
Cancellation of the proposed electricity tariff hike.
Fulfillment of election promises, including free 300 units of electricity for all consumers.
Waiver of electricity charges for agricultural purposes.
Discontinuation of prepaid smart meters.
In this context, the council’s convener, Santosh Das, presented a declaration. He criticized TPNODL’s (TP Northern Odisha Distribution Limited) claim that it needed a revenue of ₹4,650 crore for the financial year 2025-26 while expecting to sell 8,719 million units of electricity. Despite current tariff rates, the company would earn ₹4,499 crore, resulting in a loss of ₹151 crore, justifying the need for a tariff hike. He dismissed these claims as false.
Additionally, General Secretary of TUCC, Gaurang Panigrahi, proposed a movement under the slogan “We will not pay increased electricity charges”—a proposal that was extensively discussed and unanimously adopted.
Participants and Resolutions for Mass Protests:
The conference saw participation from various leaders, including former MLA Sudarshan Jena, Civil Society District President Antaryami Pradhan, retired state employee leader Gyanananda Sahu, advocates Daitari Apat and Sadashiv Das, social worker Kanak Panigrahi, and senior left-wing leader Nirmal Nayak.
A 31-member committee was also proposed, with key members including Sitanshu Senapati, Shyamsundar Jena, Rajkishore Lenka, Asgar Ali, Sheikh Sikandar, Deeptiman Acharya, Sneh Lata Panda, and Bharat Chandra Sethi. The conference concluded with a vote of thanks from Premaranjan Patra.
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