Protest against power tariff hike

An all-party rally was taken out here on Tuesday to protest the proposed electricity tariff hike.

The rally, which was led by NCP MLA Vasant Pawar and others demanded electricity at reasonable rates.

It also asked the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) to prevent power thefts and leakage and withdraw FOCA (fuel charges) in electricity bills to common people and farmers.

The Shiv Sena district unit chief Datta Gaikwad also met Pramod Dev, chairperson of MERC and urged him not to increase tariff of electricity, make separate zone for Nasik and charge electricity to the farmers on horse-power basis.

MERC members, led by Dev, were touring all the six divisions of the state to ascertain citizens' views before hiking electricity charges.

The rally included MLA Dilip Bankar, Janata Dal (secular) member and ex-MLA Nihal Ahmed.