Protesting against the unscheduled power cuts that have crippled the industry, the Salem District Small Scale and Tiny Industries Association organised a one-day shutdown of all small and medium scale industries in the district and staged a demonstration.
The association pointed out that for the past three years the State had been experiencing load shedding affecting small and medium scale industries such as textile and weaving units, welding and lathe workshops, coir twisting units, brick kilns, silver anklet industry, furniture manufacturers, chemical industries, cold storages, units in SIDCO estates and printers.
While the small industries were suffering, the multinational companies and those in SEZs had been enjoying uninterrupted power supply.
Cities and towns other than Chennai had the gruelling experiences of suffering three-hour power shutdown.
Besides, the association members claimed, the units in Chennai had been undergoing a mere one hour load shedding.
Hence the owners of small and medium enterprises in districts, especially in Salem, had urged the Tamil Nadu government to execute power schemes on a war-footing and ensure uninterrupted power supply to all units.
Hence to highlight these issues, they had shut down their units and also organised a demonstration. Association president K. Mariappan and others took part in the agitations.
The associations that joined the stir included Salem chapter of Textile Association, Salem District Offset Printers Association, Salem District Lathe and Engineering Workshop Association, Salem Karuppur SIDCO Industrial Estate Women Association, Salem Silver Anklet Manufacturers Association, Taramangalam Powerloom Weavers Association, and Salem District Steel Furniture Manufacturers Association besides others.
