The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM-Punjab) is holding a statewide dharana (sit-in) protest against officials of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) across the state over the ongoing power crisis in the farm sector.
KMM convener Sarwan Singh Pandher said that the acute shortage of electricity has disrupted paddy plantation and left farmers struggling to irrigate their fields.
Tension escalated after farmers heading to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Lok Milni programme in Moga were detained by the police.
Pandher alleged that despite prior intimation to the authorities about the farmers’ delegation visit, they were arrested, calling the action “dictatorship instead of democracy”.
He warned that if the government continued to suppress farmers’ voices, the unions will hold a chakka jam.
Pandher said that farmer delegations would continue to attend the Chief Minister’s Lok Milni programmes and ask him questions about the current power crisis and policy paralysis in the state.
He alleged that power supply to agricultural feeders has been reduced to just four hours, forcing farmers to spend their savings or borrow money to run diesel-powered motors.
Despite raising the issue with the Power Minister and the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of PSPCL, no action has been taken, Pandher claimed. Farmers have been assured of uninterrupted electricity, but in reality many areas were receiving only two-and-a-half to four hours of supply daily, severely affecting irrigation during the paddy season, he added.
The KMM demanded at least 16 hours of uninterrupted power supply for agricultural motors and 24-hour supply for domestic consumers. It also sought replacement of faulty transformers within 24 hours, with transportation arranged by the power utility.
The outfit further demanded that the installation of smart meters without consumers’ consent be stopped, penalties imposed after the removal of old meters be withdrawn, and old meters be reinstalled