100 held after protestors lock MSEDCL office

Nagpur, Sep 4 (UNI) Police arrested 100 people after they locked an the office of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) over the long hours of loadshedding here today.

According to police, the activists of a local organisation stormed into the office of the MSEDCL Chief Engineer in the city and put two locks on the door of his cabin.

The activists said they would not budge until the MSEDCL officials gave them a specific assurance to reduce the hours of loadshedding.

The protestors remained adamant on their stand and refused to move, after which mild force had to be used to get the office vacated and 100 activists were arrested, police said.

Rural parts of Vidarbha are facing up to 14 hours of power blackouts every day, while the duration in the urban areas is up to 9 hours daily.

Incidentally, BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis has lodged a complaint of cheating against the MSEDCL top brass for what he alleges is an attempt to misinform the people on the power situation. Vidarbha was facing the maximum hours of loadshedding in spite of producing 56 per cent of the state's total electricity, he said in the complaint, lodged on Tuesday.

Mr Fadnavis has also demanded that the MSEDCL top brass, including Managing Director Ajay Bhushan Pande, be booked under the Maharashtra Organised Crime Act (MOCA) for putting the people to hardship.

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