Madikeri: The Kodagu District Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KDCCI) has threatened to stage protests in front of the offices of the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESCOM) across Kodagu district if steps are not taken to rectify erratic power supply in the district in 15 days.

K.B. Girish Ganapathi, KDCCI president, told presspersons here on Saturday that a memorandum had been submitted to the CESCOM Executive Engineer in Kodagu in this regard on Saturday.

Lack of power supply, low voltage and unscheduled shutdowns had affected students preparing for examinations. Farmers were unable to irrigate the crops on time. Merchants were also being put to hardships, particularly during busy evening hours, he said.

General secretary G. Chidvilas said that all the 19 local committees of the KDCCI in the district would stage protests on the same day to demand uninterrupted power supply to Kodagu.

Boards in Kannada

Mr. Chidvilas said that the KDCCI would not come to the help of those merchants who had not yet put up Kannada boards despite the Kannada Sahitya Parishat directive in this regard.

Efforts were on to secure enough coins for traders from the State Bank of India. Shortage of coins had emerged as a major problem in Kodagu recently.

Mr. Chidvilas announced that Venkatesh Pai, a senior member and treasurer of KDCCI had vacated the post and made way for Sridhar Nellitaya, owing to personal reasons.

Mr. Ganapathi and Mr. Chidvilas condemned the "highhandedness" of the Somwarpet town panchayat authorities who had demolished a shop a few days ago without issuing the trader any notice. Besides, the trader's son was attacked in the town, they alleged.

They accused the police of not initiating action against those responsible for it.

Merchants' Day

Mr. Ganapathi announced that Merchants' Day this year would be observed in Gonicoppa in Virajpet taluk on April 15, in coincidence with the birth anniversary of Jamshedji Tata.

It would include a variety of programmes including sports and games competitions. Winners would participate in the district level competitions. A reception committee had been constituted under the chairmanship of M.K. Nanjappa, a zilla pancahayat member from Gonicoppa, he said.

B.N. Prakash and Jayakumar, directors of KDCCI, were present.

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