Chennai, Sept 25 (KNN) Micro and small-scale industries in Tamil Nadu have declared a temporary shutdown of their activities on Monday in protest against high electricity costs during peak hours and the imposition of fixed charges on power loads, among other grievances.

Representative bodies of more than 250 industrial estates, product/sector-based organisations and district-based associations formed Tamil Nadu Industrial Electricity Consumers' Federation earlier this month. They have collectively decided to shut down their operations against the tariff structure of the state-owned distribution company Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).

The industry bodies have decided to go on strike despite Chief Minister MK Stalin's series of announcements providing respites such as a cut in fixed charges, a slight reduction in peak-hour tariff, and flexibility for seasonal industries to change the electrical load four times a year, based on demand.

As per reports, the organisers have decided to explore the next steps if the Tamil Nadu government doesn't respond to the demands, including a prolonged strike, which would have ramifications for the state's major industrial sectors like automobiles, textiles, and leather, among others.

Speaking to TNIE, Federation's coordinator J James said there's no sub-meter to track peak-hour usage and an arbitrary 15 per cent charge on total consumption has been imposed on micro and small-scale industries.

These charges would apply even if we don't consume power during those hours, he added.

The federation calls for a reduction of the peak time to four hours from eight at present and charge 20 per cent for high-tension lines. The industry owners also demand permits for the direct purchase of electricity from private players and the removal of solar networking charges.  (KNN Bureau)