MSME workers stage hunger strike demanding government to drop revision of power tariff

Industries and employees from Madurai and south TN joined to demand TN govt withdraw Tangedco's announcements on electricity tariff. MADITSSIA president said govt should help revive industries, especially small and MSME units. Tangedco should drop proposals, collect charges as per units consumed and not revise tariff for two years. Strike led to production loss of ₹9,000 crore, 80 lakh job losses and govt revenue loss of ₹2,500 crore. TANSTIA president ended hunger strike by distributing juice.

Demanding the Tamil Nadu Government to withdraw the announcements made by the Tangedco with regard to revision in electricity tariff and among others, about 1,000 members representing various industries and their employees from Madurai and a few southern districts participated in the day-long hunger strike in Madurai city on Monday.

Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) president R.M. Lakshminarayanan said that after the State Government did not fulfil their “genuine” demands, various associations and industrial outfits from south Tamil Nadu joined the State Industrial Power Consumers’ Federation to press the government to revoke the announcements.

The government, he said, should help the industries, especially, the small and MSME units revive from the losses suffered in the past. At a time, when some of the sectors were looking up to come out of the red, the series of guidelines from the Tangedco had come as a rude shock. and a big blow.

The Tangedco should drop all its proposals and only collect charges as per the units consumed. Moreover, Tangedco should not revise the power tariff for two years under any circumstances.

Though the industrial association had submitted memoranda to the government in the past, they had not considered any of their genuine demands, which included cancellation of peak hour charges, fixed charges, to drop the multi-year tariff and refrain from increasing EB charges and to cancel the roof top solar network charges and among others.

One of the co-ordinators of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Electricity Consumers Federation J. James said the strike by the MSMEs had led to production loss of ₹9,000 crore, about 80 lakh people lost their jobs for a day and the government suffered revenue loss of nearly ₹2,500 crore. 

TANSTIA president Marimuthu concluded the hunger fast by distributing juice to the members. MADITSSIA secretary A Kodeeswaran proposed a vote of thanks.