Industrialists fume over power cut

This machine tool manufacturing factory at the Peenya Industrial Area, a northern suburb of Bangalore, wears a deserted look on Thursday. According to its owner, this small firm used to clock a turnover of Rs 30 lakh every month, until the slowdown hit industrial activities. Now, the turnover has dipped to about Rs one lakh this month, and his staff count has come down to 6 from 45, he says. Pic G R N SOMASHEKAR - Bangalore 25th Dec 2008.

Frequent power cuts in the industrial belt of Peenya, Kamakshipalya, Bommasandra and other places in Bangalore during the last four to five days has left industrialists high and dry. They say the Government should properly schedule the power cuts, taking industrialists' difficulties into consideration.

“We also know that availability of power is a problem throughout the country. However, a schedule could have been announced that would have brought down our production losses,” M.C. Dinesh, chairman of Industry Committee, Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), told The Hindu .

According to him, the frequent power cuts have caused tremendous losses: raw materials get wasted and cost of production goes up for those using generators.

There are about 70,000 small industries in Bangalore that employ about seven lakh people.

Sops demanded

He said the Government should immediately scrap value-added tax on the purchase of diesel generators and also remove sales tax on diesel to enable industries to buy diesel for generators. Besides, a soft loan from bank for purchase of generators should also be extended, Mr. Dinesh said.

“We are working on zero efficiency for the last four to five days due to unscheduled power cuts, and motivating labour is difficult,” said M.D. Prabhu, former president of Peenya Industries Association. The situation was so bad, he said, there was usually no power till lunch time, and business had taken a beating.

Protest

Meanwhile, a large number of industrialists in Peenya Industrial area staged a protest on Friday against the irregular power supply.

They sat on the pavement for nearly two hours near Pai Bhavan in Peenya, slowing down traffic.

They said that the fluctuations in power supply had severely affected work in their units.

Production had come down to such an extent that it had become difficult to pay employees, they said.