Cry for power as 150 units closed in Haragachh
Thousands stage protest, lay siege to Dc’s office
Our Correspondent, Rangpur
Several thousand people, most of them bidi factory workers, from Haragachh municipality, brought out a procession in Rangpur town and laid a siege to the Deputy Commissioner's office for hours yesterday demanding resumption of power supply to their area, snapped on July 3.They also demanded power supply by Power Development Board (PDB) instead of Rural Electrification Board (REB). Earlier, they staged a sit-in and held a rally at Station Road, blocking traffic for about three hours from 12:30 pm. They organised the programmes under the banner of Haragachh Bidyut Grahak Sangram Parishad (HBGSP). Speakers at the rally alleged that the Rangpur Palli Bidyut Samiti-2 illegally snapped the power supply, violating a court order. Addressing the rally, former chairman of Haragachh Municipality Anwarul Islam Maya said tougher agitation will be launched if power supply is not restored immediately under the PDB. Government shifted the Haragachh power supply authority to Haragachh from PDB to Rangpur Palli Biddut Samiti-2 in 2002. Since then the local people have been staging protest demonstrations under the HBGSP for power supply under PDB. In such a situation, neither the PDB nor the REB realised bills. So the bills accumulated. A case was filed earlier with a Rangpur court, which was disposed of. Later they lodged appeal with the High Court, which, on July 2, ordered a status quo. On July 3, the Rangpur Palli Biddut Samiti-2 snapped power supply in Haragachh as outstanding bills rose to about Tk 6 crore. Other speakers at the rally said about 150 small and medium industries including Bidi factories in the municipality are closed since July 3, making several thousand people jobless. Amin Uddin, Secretary of HBGSP claimed that REB unlawfully snapped power supply in Haragachh despite a High Court order to maintain status quo. When contacted, General Manager of Rangpur Plali Bidyut Somiti-2 Enamul Hoque said the power supply has been snapped because of huge amounts of accumulated bills. He, however, said, he is yet to get the High Court order.
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