Monday, May 2 2005 19:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Pune/Nagpur: Protesting the severe power crisis in the State, angry crowds today (May 2, 2005) attacked Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) offices in several parts of the State even as 20 Shiv Sainiks were detained for arson and violence in Pune.

A group of Shiv Sainiks ransacked the MSEB office at Rasta Peth in Pune and allegedly beat up some employees and set on fire two sofa-sets and broke the window panes of the cabins, police said.

Police said it resorted to lathicharge to disperse the Shiv Saniks and also detained 20 of them for violence and trespassing into the MSEB office.

Photographers and cameramen of television channels, who were shooting the attack were allegedly beaten up by MSEB employees, Pune Union of Working Journalists president Sunil Kaduskar and its secretary Dnyaneshwar said.

In Nagpur, a group of angry youths gheraoed MSEB urban circle chief engineer to protest load-shedding in the city.

A group of more than 20 persons barged into the MSEB shouting slogans to protest against load-shedding, MSEB sources said.

Activists of Samajwadi party squatted on the tracks and blocked the Mumbai-bound Vidarbha Express between Ajni and Khapi station near Nagpur.

Condemning the attack on MSEB offices in various parts of the State, Maharashtra Government today said it would urge leaders of political parties to cooperate with it to tackle the situation.

"The attack on MSEB office in Pune and gherao of MSEB officials in Nagpur and Amravati was done by activists of Shiv Sena and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," State Energy Minister Dilip Walse-Patil told reporters in Mumbai.

The State is facing a severe power deficit of more than 3,000 MW and the State electricity board has resorted to heavy load-shedding in the State.