Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand Mahesh Poddar on Sunday addressed a letter to the Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, urging to provide relief to the small industries of the State from the fixed charge of electricity without further delay.

Expressing concern over the extremely poor state of industry and trade and alleged neglect of small industries by the State Gover-nment, Poddar

also cited letters written earlier on these subjects and has also asked many questions.

Poddar has said that on one hand the Government is expressing concern about employment in the State, and on the other hand it is showing extreme indifference towards small industries capable of providing maximum employment. “The Government talks about bringing migrant laborers of the State, keeping them in the State and providing them employment according to their skills. Industry of Jharkhand — Business will give strength to these efforts, they will be supplemented, solutions to all problems will be made,” he added.

“Many subsidies are required from the Government to stand the business and industry in the State. The State Government may consider giving other benefits to industry — trade later, but the relief in the electricity bill should be given to them immediately as soon as they want to start working again in their plants and establishments which have been closed for almost two and a half months, this is the first obstacle. This is the reason why there are repeated requests for relief in fixed charge of electricity,” said Poddar.

Poddar has also asked the Chief Minister to answer some questions such as what efforts have been made so far at the level of the State Government to give relief to industry and business, what initiatives have been taken, whether there is a provision in the agreement between JBVNL and the consumer to give relief in fixed charge in case of unavoidable consumption of electricity, the Central Government has given a package of Rs 90,000 crore for distribution companies or not and whether the transmission company and the generating company working under the Central Government have flexible approach towards distribution companies and has any harassment action been taken on non-payment.

Poddar has said that the State Government should not prolong the matter further. If the Government does not want to give relief to industry-trade from the fixed charge, then it would be better to inform them formally so that they do not keep any hope from the Government and try to handle their business with their own resources.