As Sena attacks MSEB offices, CM appeals to Opp

The Shiv Sena has turned the heat on the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) again. On Wednesday, thousands of Sainiks attacked MSEB ...

The Shiv Sena has turned the heat on the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) again. On Wednesday, thousands of Sainiks attacked MSEB offices and staff across the state to protest power cuts. Police arrested 200 activists, including 71 women. They were later released and security has now been beefed up.

While MSEB officials refused to comment, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh appealed to the Opposition not to politicise the power crisis, but cooperate with the government in solving it. ‘‘The protest by the Opposition is political. Opposition should consider the seriousness of the issue and should not engage in violent protests,’’ Deshmukh told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting in Mumbai.

In Thane district, MSEB offices at Murbad, Ambernath, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Kalyan, Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Vasai and Wadala were targeted by Shiv Sainiks as Navi Mumbai also saw protests. ‘‘If the government can’t give us light it has no right to stay in power,’’ said Naresh Mhaske, deputy chief of Sena’s Thane district unit, who led the protests along with MLA Eknath Shinde.Their demands—that load-shedding be stopped and cases of excess billing due to faulty meter readings, checked.

Asked if the state government would have to pay higher costs for the additional power assured by the Prime Minister, Deshmukh said the Centre had offered naphtha power at a higher cost and thermal power at normal rates.

The CM also said a final decision on restructuring MSEB was yet to be taken and that a special Cabinet meeting had been called for this on May 20.