Mangaluru: The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has requested Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to withdraw the proposed hike in electricity tariff by Mangalore electricity supply company (MESCOM).
In a letter to the Chief Minister, KCCI president Isaac Vas said Mescom's decision to increase power tariff by Re 1 per unit was 'shocking.'
The move will badly affect the consumers of DK, Udupi, and Shivamogga districts, he added.
The increase will be a blow to the MSME sector, the second-largest employment generator after agriculture, and acts as a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and innovators with considerable support in strengthening business ecosystems, Vas said.
In Dakshina Kannada alone, over one lakh people are employed in this sector while the large industries employ less than 10,000 people.
The countrywide lockdown dragged MSME owners, employees, and other stakeholders to unexpected repulsions.
After the lockdown period, MSMEs face challenges relating to debt repayments, wages and salaries, and statutory dues.
The MSME sector will completely collapse if the tariff hike is implemented, he said.
The KCCI requested that Mescom reduce its distribution losses and overheads instead of putting an additional burden on the consumers.
MSMEs are struggling to revive operations after the pandemic and the severe slowdown in the economy, Vas said in the letter.
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Bengaluru, Aug 11 (PTI): In response to a planned three-day strike by ASHA workers starting August 12, the Karnataka Health Department on Monday issued a notice prohibiting all officers and staff from taking leave during the protest period, except in cases of medical emergencies.
Accredited Social Health Activists workers are demanding the fixed honorarium of Rs 10,000 promised by the state government in January. They have announced a continuous state-level protest from August 12 to 14.
The notice stated, “Information about ASHA workers absent from duty within district limits will be collected daily from primary health centres, compiled at the district level, and submitted to the commissionerate by 3 pm during the protest.”
The Health Department also urged community health officers, primary health protection officers, health inspectors, and Anganwadi workers to cooperate in ensuring that health services to the public remain uninterrupted.