Electrical contractors on strike, Bengaluru gropes in dark
The contractors refused to switch on the street lights in the city demanding settlement of their pending bills to the tune of Rs 35 crore.
Bengaluru: Panic spread among city residents after many areas plunged into darkness following a strike by BBMP electrical contractors.
The contractors refused to switch on the street lights in the city demanding settlement of their pending bills to the tune of Rs 35 crore. Of the 4.8 lakh street lights in the city, less than one-fourth functioned on Wednesday night. However, after assurance from the BBMP Commissioner Maheswara Rao in a late night meeting, BBMP Electrical Contractors' Association agreed to turn on the lights.
Addressing the media, K.M. Raju, General Secretary of the association said that payments have not been made for the works executed for the last 18 months to over 100 electrical contractors. He further added that the contractors are yet to furnish bills for another Rs 10 crore.
As citizens' lives will be affected we have agreed to only switch on and off the street lights and not take up any repair work, Raju said and added that they will again meet BBMP top brass on Thursday. BBMP Commissioner said that he has requested the electric contractors to operate street lights and maintained that a meeting has been called on Thursday to resolve the issue.