KOTA: In protest against the installation of smart metres by Kota Electricity Distribution Limited ( KEDL ), a franchise of Jaipur Vidyutt Vitran Nigam Limited ( JVVNL ) and high electricity bills from them, the markets, private schools and other commercial institutions in Kota city on Friday remained completely closed. Petrol pumps also stayed closed till 12 o’clock in the afternoon in support of the bandh.Kota city Congress, Kota Vyapar Mahasang and around 150 trade organizations associated with it had given a call for bandh against the exploitative commercial strategies and installation of smart electricity metres by the franchise company in Kota city.Kota bar council also suspended the judicial work in Kota court against KEDL.Youth Congress workers along with the volunteers of other trade and public organizations took rounds in the city markets and demonstrated against KEDL. Youth Congress workers burnt tyres and smart metres in front of KEDL office in Gumanpura area. The situation of a face-off between protesters and the police arose when the demonstrating protestors attempted to enter into KEDL office but it was handled in time normalizing the situation.The protestors in Santoshi Nagar area overturned the kachori thela and attempted to manhandle its vendor.“It was a historical bandh against the exploitative commercial strategies of KEDL and the whole public of Kota city supported it,” Kota city Congress president Ravindra Tyagi said.“Kota Bar council today decided to boycott the judicial work in Kota court in support to the call to Bandh and to lodge protest against KEDL,” said Mahendra Kumar Gupta, treasurer, Kota bar council.“Bandh in Kota remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city,” Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Kota Umesh Ojha said.Himmat Singh, a social activist in Kota who had been on hunger strike for 10 days outside KEDL office with the demand to send back the private company and to restore electricity distribution to government company as per the previous pattern, withdrew his hunger strike on Friday after a delegation from district administration met him. “District administration has asked for 10 days’ time to address and fulfill my demands in public interest following which I decided to withdraw the hunger strike,” said Himmat Singh.Meanwhile, ahead of call for Bandh, a meeting presided by Kota district collector Gorav Goyal was held on Thursday with officials of KEDL, representatives of Kota Vyapar Mahasang and hostel association. Collector Gorav Goyal directed to organize ward wise camp from August 17 to address and solve the issue related to high billing. He also directed to withdraw the previous direction of charging electricity bill in commercial category to hostels. Now domestic electricity charges would be applicable to the hostels in Kota.JVVNL last year franchised Kolkata based KEDL for electricity distribution in Kota city since then the company had been facing public wrath for its commercial tactics including installation of smart electricity meters.

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