Residents paid Rs 5-12 for a bucket of water Roshani Devi, a Musallahpur area resident, said: "There was a huge rush at the nearby hand pump and I had to pay Rs 12 for a bucket of water "

Students preparing for the Board exams, which start on Thursday, were also greatly inconvenienced as were businesses. Every institution was affected, including the high court, assembly, governor's estate, chief minister's residence and state secretariat. Power was restored to these places later through the Kha- | gaul grid - the only one among five that was operational.

Opposition leader Rabri Devi went to the assembly lantern in hand, saying: "This is not sushashan (good governance) but kushashan (bad governance). I have not taken a bath today... What can one do without power?"

Earlier, talks between the BSEB Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers and the state government ended early without result. Yaday said the government would not alter its decision to restructure the power board. "It's a policy decision and conforms to the power reforms initiative of the Centre in 2003. We will deal sternly with strikers."