Industries in state to observe one day bandh on October 25, to protest power hike,,,,,,,,,will also not not pay power bills

Nearly one lakh industries in the state are on war path to protest against the rise in the power tariff and have taken an unanimous decision here today to observe a days state wide bandh on October 25.

This was announced here today at a joint news conference by President of the Chamber of Small Industries Association (COSIA) M R Appa Khambete and Coordinator of the State level Co-ordination Committee Pratap Hogade of the Industrial and Consumer Power consumers.

Representatives of all the Industries Associations from the all over the state today held a day long delibration on the steps to be taken due to the increase in the power tariff and also the ill effects of the same.

The members temper ran high as the industries will have to face undue hardships running their business and industry at this high tarrif the members said.

The industries will perish if the government does not not give a second though to the rise and roll back the rates the members opined.

Ulteimately the consumers are the people who will be worst hit and hence it is absoltutely essential that the increase in tariff is withdrawn they demanded.

They said that there were nearly 58000 LT consumers and 13000 HT consumers of power in the industry using more than 27HP of power who will participate in the bandh and protest the rise in the tariff.

Some of the presidents of the associations from Kolhapur, Pen, Murbad, Bhiwandi, etc etc. said that if the government is adamant and bulldozes through the decision then some of the insustries will surely perish as they cannot sustain the rise in the price.

They pointed out that in the neighbouring states the power was much less than that in the state of Maharashtra as a result of which some of the industries have already started shifting to these states and the trend will continue and intensify with this high tariff.

“Mind you the members said we contribute almost 50% of the revenue earned by the Power Distribution company this fact should not not be ignored by the government”, they said.

They also pointed out that in the last three years there have been revision in tariff at least a dozen times which was unwarranted and this proved a death knell to the industries which are already in the red and suffering due to various factors.

The meeting today also decided that the industries will not not pay their power bill for this month and hereafter till a final decision is taken on the issue of the increase in the tariff.

Asked what next if the government does not not pay heed to their demand the industries representatives who were present for the conference in chorus declared that they would take out a morcha to press for their demands on the Mantralaya and intensify their stir.