Prohibitory orders in 4 taluks after lathicharge on PFI workers in Uppinangady
Mangaluru, Dec 15: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed across Puttur, Sullia, Kadaba and Belthangady taluks from Wednesday till Friday midnight in the wake of the tension prevailing in the region over the lathicharge on Popular Front of India (PFI) workers at Uppinangady in Puttur on Tuesday.
Puttur Assistant Commissioner of Police Yathish Ullal issued the orders covering the area coming under Puttur sub-division, police sources said.
On Tuesday the police lathicharged the PFI workers who had gathered in front of Uppinangady police station demanding release of their three leaders who were arrested in connection with a recent attack case involving the workers.
Over 10 people were injured in the lathicharge on protestors, who alleged that the three activists who were summoned for questioning were later detained.
Meanwhile, the Dakshina Kannada district committee of the Campus Front of India (CFI) staged a protest near the clock tower in the city on Wednesday, condemning the lathicharge. The protestors demanded the immediate release of PFI activists.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
