PUNE, Dec 2: Various chambers of commerce, trade and industry in the state have decided to launch an agitation against the hike in power tariff by MSEB. A committee of apex bodies have decided to launch the agitation on December 14, when the winter session of the state assembly commences. All industries in Maharashtra will be observing black day and switching off the power for an hour between 11 am and 12 noon. During this period the continuous process industries will switch on to the power supply from their own generating sets. All commercial establishments too would be requested to switch off the power between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm.Pratap Pawar, presient of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries & Agricultre president, stated in a press note issued here today that an urgent meeting of the co-ordinating committee of the apex body is meeting on December 3 at the Mahratta Chamber to chalk out an action plan and discuss the problem. The associations will pass a resolution condemning the recent hike. Pawar stated that the hike which came into effect from September 1998 is disproportionate with the actual price rise and government should withold the recent revision. The steep hike in tariff has affected small scale sector especially those where the connecter power of 20 HP where the hike is as high as 120 per cent. The meeting will bring out these issues and also discuss the imposition of five per cent electricity duty on demand and FCA charges which they say is irrational. MSEB is demanding letter of credit to the extent of the bill amount while giving new HT connection in additon to the security deposit to the extent of the billamount of one month's consumption.The chambers have suggested that any revision in future should be reasonable and should be made in consultation with industry. The government should not only keep revenue considerations in mind while revising tariff. The chambers are also demanding simplification in the issue of bills and withdrawal of cross subsidy on a time bound basis and till that time the government should make a provision in the general budget for the deficit and raise finance by compelling MSEB to hike rates.
