Bijnor: Police resorted baton charge on people protesting at National Highway 74 near Afzalgarh in Bijnor against unscheduled and long power outages in the city and nearby areas.
The demonstration at the NH 74, which connects Haridwar in Uttarakhand with Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh via Pilibhit, caused traffic jam for hours.
As soon as police was informed about the protest, they rushed to site and tried to pacify the agitators. Protesting people refused to buzz from the highway following which police baton charged them. The situation soon escalated into stone-pelting from both sides.
Police also fired several rounds in the air to disperse the crowd.
Several people including police officials were injured in the incident.
The power scenario in Uttar Pradesh continued to be dismal. The top officials at the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) said that the state was facing a yawning gap between the demand and supply of power.
The total power supply received in 24 hours is maximum to 7-8 hours.
