1,40, 000 cottage industries face closure

Sattenpally (Guntur Dt)
March 4, 2013: YSR Congress party honourary president Smt. Y. S. Vijayamma said
on Monday that the Government’s 12-day power holiday in a month for industry is
resulting in the instant closure of 1, 40,000 cottage industries and 25 lakh
employees and workers losing their jobs.

Several industries are
being shifted to other states because of the severe power crisis and the
government has become a silent spectator to the woes of the industrialists and
farmers, she told thousands of people who participated in the Maha Dharna here opposing
the power tariff hike and power cuts.

“The Government should
have called the industrialists and tried to solve their problems to instill
confidence among them to save the industry in the state but the Government has
no time to attend to the issue,” she said.

She said the people are
being burdened with an additional Ras.32,000 Cr in shape of hiked power
charges.

Smt. Vijayamma said Dr.
YSR used to monitor the power situation and the water level positions in all
reservoirs at 5 am daily and take corrective measures. “Why is the government
unable to monitor similarly,” she asked.

Faulting the Government
for its failure to ensure supply of gas for gas based power projects, she said
the people are in distress with increased power bills and longer power cuts.