NAYAGARH: (Report- Ramakrushna Rath): The District Congress Committee (DCC) held a massive protest in Nayagarh to oppose the additional security deposit charges imposed by Tata Power. Led by District President Ranjit Dash, the protest followed a call for action from PCC President Bhakta Charan Das.
Members of the Congress party gathered in front of the Tata Power Electrical Division office. They voiced their anger against the company's recent notification to collect extra security money from nearly 75,000 electricity consumers in the Nayagarh district. 
Congress Protests Tata Power’s Extra Security Charges in Nayagarh


Allegations of Consumer Exploitation

PCC General Secretary and Nayagarh DCC Coordinator, Yasir Nawaz, joined the protest. He criticized the company’s policies and labeled them as "consumer exploitation." Nawaz stated that the Congress party would launch a district-wide public awareness campaign to inform citizens about these "arbitrary" charges. The protesters shouted slogans such as "Stop exploiting consumers" and "Remove Tata Power." 
Congress Protests Tata Power’s Extra Security Charges in Nayagarh


Political Criticism of BJD

During the rally, Ranjit Dash launched a sharp attack on the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He questioned why the state government and the two local MLAs from Nayagarh remain silent on this issue. Dash alleged a secret understanding between Tata Power and the BJD.
"The BJD is afraid to speak against Tata Power because the company has given crores of rupees to the party through electoral bonds," Dash claimed during the meeting.

Wide Support for the Movement

Several senior leaders and youth activists participated in the demonstration. Notable attendees included:
  • Former Block Chairman Laxmidhar Tripathi
  • Senior leaders Biswanath Barad and Nakula Nayak
  • State Youth Congress Secretary Pratik Mohapatra
  • District Student Congress President Shivaranjan Sahoo
The party workers declared that they would resist the collection of additional security deposits in every village. They urged the public not to pay the extra fees. The Congress party maintains that this financial burden is unfair to the common people and vows to continue its struggle until the company withdraws the notification.