Karnataka Bandh: Day-Long Shutdown Over Power Tariff Hike, Protesters Demand Roll Back

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has condemned the day-long shutdown and assured that the electricity bills will come down from next month onwards.

Bengaluru: Traders and small industry owners are observing a day-long bandh in Karnataka opposing the recent hike in power tariff. The call for a day-long ‘bandh' was given by the Hubballi-based Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Small traders, business houses, and industrialists are taking out protests across the Congress-ruled Karnataka demanding a rollback of the power tariff hike.

Their protests are happening at a time when the state government started the registration process earlier this week for the 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme offering up to 200 units of free electricity for residential connections.

Protests Across Karnataka

Holding banners, posters and placards, the traders and industrialists marched in the district headquarters in Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Davangere and Koppal, among others. They shouted slogans demanding that the government roll back the hike. In Belagavi, a large number of traders and small and micro industry owners marched up to the office of the Deputy Commissioner with banners and placards.

KCCI acting President Sandeep Bidasaria claimed that the hike in power tariff has gone up between 50 and 70 per cent, which has deeply impacted small businesses. A protester in Belagavi, a city bordering Maharashtra, alleged many industries were planning to move out to the neighbouring state due to the drastic increase in tariff.

Many shops were shut and production was stopped in small industries in several parts of the state in response to the bandh call. In the district headquarters town of Bidar, many shops were shut and the main market wore a deserted look following the Bandh.

WHAT’S OPEN AND WHAT’S CLOSED

Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), along with other district chambers of commerce and trade associations, has backed the bandh call to protest the “unjust hike” of power tariff. In Belgaum, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) has requested all trades and industries, except emergency services, to keep their establishments closed in support of the agitation.

WHO WILL BE AFFECTED?

The CPM has also extended support to the strike. However, the bandh is unlikely to affect normal life as KCCI president Vinay Javali said that the bandh call is a “voluntary one". Javali was quoted as saying that the strike is only for business establishments, and the essential services and movement of vehicles will not be affected. However, several trade bodies, including FKCCI, KASSIA and Peenya Industries Association, have distanced themselves from today's bandh.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, condemned the shutdown and assured that the electricity bills will come down from next month onwards.

(With Agency Inputs)