PUDUCHERRY: The INDIA bloc, comprising several opposition parties including Congress, DMK, CPI, CPM, VCK, and others, has announced a complete shutdown in the Union Territory on 18 September (Wednesday) to protest against the recent electricity tariff hike.
The shutdown, scheduled to take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., aims to pressure the government into fully withdrawing the tariff increase and scrapping additional surcharges, demanding that only unit charges be levied.
The decision for the strike was made during a meeting at the CPI office in Mudaliarpet, where leaders of various parties gathered to discuss the growing discontent over the rising electricity rates. The bandh is also a protest against the Central Government's ongoing move towards privatising the electricity sector, as well as the local government's failure to prevent it and the decision to introduce pre-paid meters in the UT.
A series of protests is planned to continue until their demands are met, with public campaigns to raise awareness beginning two days before the shutdown. PCC President and Lok Sabha member V. Vaithilingam, along with Leader of Opposition and state DMK Convenor R. Siva, and CPI state Secretary A.M. Saleem, are spearheading the initiative.
Puducherry has witnessed successive electricity tariff hikes over the past five years. Despite the recommendations of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission in February, the government postponed the tariff increase earlier this year due to parliamentary elections. However, the hike was reintroduced on 16 June, sparking widespread outrage among political parties and social organisations. They criticised the recent government decision, calling it a betrayal of public trust.
After the INDIA bloc staged a protest a few days ago, the government announced a subsidy for electricity consumption up to 200 units, but the opposition parties dismissed this as insufficient, demanding a complete rollback of the hiked tariffs.
Former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, MLA M. Vaidyanathan, former Minister M. Kandasamy, former Government Whip R.K.R. Anantharaman, DMK MLAs Anibal Kennedy, L. Sampath, R. Senthilkumar, State Secretary of CPM R. Rajangam, VCK General Secretary Devapolilan, former MLA Nara Kalainathan, AITUC General Secretary Sethuselvam, Aam Aadmi Party, MDMK, and other party leaders participated in the meeting.