Karnataka bandh today over electricity tariff hike, essential services not be impacted
A day-long bandh will be observed in Karnataka on Thursday, June 22, over hike in electricity tariff rate. A call for the strike was given by the Hubballi-based Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
FollowThe Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced a statewide strike on June 22 to protest the price hike in electricity charges. The Karnataka bandh summons was issued on Thursday, and all trade and industry organisations have been advised to stop their operations in anticipation of some disturbance to daily life. The CPM has pledged its support for today's Karnataka Bandh. The bandh appeal, according to KCCI president Vinay Javali, is just for commercial businesses and is entirely voluntary.
The essential services will not be disturbed and the movement of vehicles is not likely to be affected. A day-long bandh will cause losses for businesses, but sectors may not survive with such an unusually high increase in electricity prices, according to Javali.
"We propose that all businesses in the trade and industry close on June 22. This is a protest over BESCOM's unusual price increase on electricity. We have been attempting to communicate for the past eight days how seriously the impact of the increase in power rates is being felt. However, neither the officials nor the government representatives have any solutions," according to a statement from the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
What is the reason of the protest?
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission authorised a significant rise in the fixed and per unit prices on May 12 in its tariff decision, a hike of 70 paise per unit. As a result of the controversy, the BJP accused the newly elected Congress administration of raising the rate in order to keep its election promise to provide up to 200 units of energy free of charge through the Gruha Jyoti Scheme.
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Karnataka power minister KJ George said the Gruha Jyoti scheme is for 200 units and anything above and over will have to be paid. "It will be subsidised if average power usage + 10% is less than 200 units. Anything above that will require payment. Customers who consume more than their permitted number of units must pay for the additional units utilised. It will contain 9% of tax," according to George.
