Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has written to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath saying families are borrowing money to pay their coronavirus-infected relatives’ hospital bills and that the government should compensate them.

“Besides government hospitals, private hospitals too have played an important role during the pandemic. They have set an example for quality and honest service,” the Congress general secretary’s letter, written in Hindi and dated Thursday, said.

“But there have been complaints about some hospitals charging exorbitant rates. People are borrowing money from everywhere to pay the (hospital) bills.”

Priyanka added: “Crores of people are uncertain about their future…. Some steps for the welfare of the honest and hardworking people are the need of the hour.”

She suggested a few measures to help the people during the second wave of the pandemic.

“Substantial measures should be taken to check the uncontrolled prices of essential commodities: edible oil, vegetables, fruits and other items of domestic need,” Priyanka wrote.

“The people of the state are already suffering because of the increased electricity bills and smart meters. They should be given relief in the power bills during this crisis. There’s a rumour that it (power tariffs) will be increased again. Please don’t raise the electricity rate.”

The domestic power tariff has risen by about 15 per cent since Adityanath took over as chief minister in 2017. The government is also substituting “smart meters” for the old meters, which it claims are giving wrong readings.

However, government sources said thousands of people have complained to the electricity department that not only are the smart meters faulty, the workers installing them are blackmailing people and demanding bribes.

Power minister Shrikant Sharma has promised multiple times to punish corrupt power officials and monitor the new meters but no action has yet been taken.

“The schools are closed but the guardians are under pressure to pay the fees every month,” Priyanka wrote.

“The schools too face a crisis because they have to pay teachers’ salaries. The state government should sit with representatives of the schools and the guardians and chalk out a plan to provide them relief. A financial package should be given to the schools.”