Members of 16 associations in Othakadai near Madurai downed their shutters and staged a one-day protest fast on Friday demanding equitable power supply to all parts of the State.
The protestors have also decided to form a committee comprising office bearers of associations various and submit a petition to officials of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission at Chennai next week.
A.M. Leyahat Ali, Secretary, Othakadai Anaithu Vyparigal Nalasangam, said that while they recognised the gravity of the power crisis in the State and were not demanding 24 hours. However, they wanted the Government to provide uninterrupted power from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The protestors also wanted the power authorities to provide continuous power during the night time to help the people have a peaceful sleep.
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The protestors also demanded that the State Government cracked down on the big companies that owed huge sums in unpaid electricity bills. They also decried the reported practice of providing uninterrupted power to multinational companies even while subjecting the public to 12 to 16 hours of power cuts every day.
The associations also warned of escalating their protests if the State Government failed to heed to their demands.