Bhubaneswar: The Vidyut Upabhokta Mahasangha, an electricity consumers' forum, has announced plans to stage a gherao protest near the Odisha Legislative Assembly on March 21. The decision was made during an all-party meeting convened by the organisation.

The forum put forward a five-point charter of demands, including an end to frequent power cuts, halt to installation of smart meters, cancellation of the proposed power tariff hike, and the provision of 300 units of free electricity for consumers. Additionally, they are demanding electricity bills be issued in the Odia language.

"If our demands are not met, we will intensify our protest in the coming days," said Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo.

Representatives from various political parties, including the BJD, Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, and Forward Bloc, attended the meeting.