Partial shutter-down strike observed in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: On the call of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), major business centres of the city remained closed till 4pm in protest against inflated electricity bills.

The centres included Saddar, Bohari Bazaar, Chandni Road Market, Mobile Market, Resham Bazaar, Shahi Bazaar, Faqir Jo Pir, Gul Center, Haider Chowk and markets in Latifabad.

HCCI President Adeel Siddiqui and businessmen wore black armbands and took out a protest rally at Koh-e-Noor Chowk.

Speaking to media persons, Siddiqui said the electricity rates had skyrocketed, as had the cost of doing small businesses, making it even more difficult to continue the businesses.

He said unannounced loadshedding had caused irreparable damage to business activities, the cost of power generation was also increasing due to the increase in petrol prices, the extraordinary increase in electricity bills and the peak hour policy production cost had increased by 40-50 percent.

After the protest rally and speeches of the Chamber of Commerce officials, most of the shopkeepers opened their shops in the main business centers of the city.

On the other hand, small market traders in Qasimabad and Hussainabad, Station Road, and a faction of Cloth Market remained indifferent to the strike and started the day’s business as usual.