Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Tamil Nadu downed shutters for a day on Monday, demanding that the government take steps to reduce electricity charges.
The industries are demanding the withdrawal of the peak hour charges and a reduction of the hike in fixed charges.
One of the coordinators of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Electricity Consumers’ Association, J. James, said the strike by the MSMEs had led to a 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.
The association announced in Madurai that the MSME unit owners will submit their demands to the Collectors on October 9 and stage a hunger strike in Chennai on October 16.
Meanwhile, the Department of Industries and Commerce has called the representatives of 12 industrial associations for talks with State Minister for MSMEs T.M. Anbarasan in Chennai on Tuesday, September 26. “We will take a call on the protests announced depending on the outcome of the discussions on Tuesday,” Mr. James told The Hindu.
In Coimbatore district, over 80% of the MSME units did not operate. The Tamil Nadu Associations members submitted a memorandum to the Coimbatore Collector.
Most of the MSME units in and around Chennai, including the micro-units, were shut. Operations came to a standstill and machines were halted since morning at Ambattur Industrial Estate. Ramesh Kanna, president of the Thirumudivakkam Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association, said 90% of units at the estate participated in the strike. Around 300 units were closed at the Kakkalur Industrial Estate. “Fixed charges have increased and that has made a huge impact on all of us,” K. Baskaran, secretary of the Kakkalur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association, said.
Almost 20,000 units, including rice mills, oil mills, sago industries, coir units, and silver anklet units, were closed in Salem. In Namakkal, more than 500 MSMEs were closed, while over 20,000 units across Erode closed as part of the protest.
About 24 industrial associations in Tiruppur affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Electricity Consumers’ Association downed shutters as part of the State-wide token strike. More than 1,000 MSME unit owners participated in a hunger strike in Madurai. MSMEs in Tiruchi, including those in Tiruverumbur, Thuvakudi, Vazhavanthankottai, Ariyamangalam, and Mathur, participated in the protest.
