Many Goans visiting Belagavi city on Thursday were affected due to the all-Karnataka bandh by various organisations protesting against the abrupt rise in power tariff.
Hundreds of people took part in a rally as the bandh evoked a mixed response. Commercial establishments and industries in the city remained closed till afternoon.
The protest rally began from Bogarves Circle and culminated in the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Belgaum Foundry Cluster, the Karnataka State Small Scale Industries Association and other organisations had organised the rally.
The memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner stated that Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has approved charges much higher than what was asked by the ESCOMs. It has also changed the method of calculation of FAC by which the FAC has more than doubled for the consumers.
“Under the new tariff not only the Industry and Trade, but even the common man is greatly affected. The businesses and industry are forced to pay an additional 30% to 70% as compared to the previous month's bill,” the protestors alleged.
Industrialists Hemendra Porwal, Rohan Juvali, Rajkumar Patil, Vikas Kalghatgi and others led the rally and submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil.
Meanwhile, showrooms and other commercial establishments, which remained shut in the morning, later opened in the afternoon.
