Activists protest by burning power bills across Maharashtra

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) has issued combined bills for three months of the lockdown period, which irked the consumers as they are not in a position to pay the bills.

The state government has given an option to pay the bills in three instalments and waiver of 2 per cent of the bill amount if it is paid in a single instalment.

Pratap Hogade, the president of Maharashtra Rajya Veej Grahak Sanghatna, said, “Activists, consumers from over 20 districts participated in the protest outside the government offices. We have a simple demand to waiver off the bills for consumers who were out of work for three months and hence cannot afford to pay the bills. The petitions were submitted to the district collectors for taking it up with the state government.”

At Kolhapur, N D Patil, a veteran activist, led the protest outside the district collector’s office. After the protest, district guardian minister Satej Patil met N D Patil and assured the state government will try to provide relief to the consumers.