The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) has called for a state wide bandh on June 22 as a protest against the increased electricity charges by the Congress government. The union also said that they tried to inform the government about the impact on the new electricity charges but they did not receive any response and decided to call for a bundh.
The KCCI&I further urged all members of the association to participate in the strike to send a message to the government. In a letter to all the members, the union wrote, “We request all the Trade and Industry to close their establishment on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the Electricity charges by ESCOM’s. For last 8 days we have made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the Officials or Government representatives.”

The union further hoped that the government would take note and reduce the electricity charges. “To draw the attention of the government, we are calling for this Bandh. We wish to find a solution and get reduction in the electricity charges. We hope that the Government will respond to our request,” the letter further read.
The Karnataka electricity regulatory commission (KERC) had hiked the rate of 70 paise per unit of electricity in the state on May 12. It announced another hike of 51 paise per unit under the pretext of ‘fuel and power purchase cost adjustment charge’ (FPPCA), after the new government is elected in the state.

On the issue of a hike in electricity charges, Siddaramaiah said the decision was not taken by the government but by the Karnataka electricity regulatory commission (KERC). “We did not decide to hike the electricity tariff. There is Karnataka electricity regulatory authority, which has decided. It had been decided in the past. We have only implemented it,” he explained earlier.