Vehicular traffic was affected on the busy Mumbai-Agra national highway for an hour at the Garware Naka here on Tuesday, due to a parties- supported blockade protesting the hike in electricity and water tariff.
Industry organisations and traders supported by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) affiliated Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged the agitation to protest the hike in electricity and water tariff from September 1 this year, Power Committee president Milind Rajput said.
They also burnt their electricity bills protesting the hike and warned that their agitation would be intensified.
Police rounded up more than 200 activists including Nashik Industries and Manufacturers’ Association (NIMA) chairman Manish Kothari, Ambad Industries and Manufacturers’ Association chairman Suresh Mali, Shashikant Jadhav of the MNS, Jitendra Bhave of the AAP, city BJP unit president Laxman Savaji, CITU’s D L Karad, CPM corporator Tanaji Jaibhave and former NIMA chairman Dhananjay Bele, the police said.
Offences have been registered against them under Sections 341 of the Indian Penal Code and they were released later.
According to NIMA chairman Manish Kothari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had appointed an eight-member committee under state revenue minister Narayan Rane, but it failed to take any decision on the hike in power and water tariff for industries, traders and agricultural units.
