Farmers stage protests across Punjab over power shortage

Farmers, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and various unions, staged demonstrations in several locations across Punjab on Tuesday against power cuts, claiming they disrupted the crucial sowing season. The protests were held following a call by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, with demonstrations organised outside offices of the power utility Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (Powercom). In Hoshiarpur, workers of the Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba), led by its state president Manjit Singh Rai, staged a two-hour dharna outside the office of Executive Engineer (XEN), Powercom, Model Town, here. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the XEN regarding their demands and raised slogans against the Punjab government and the Powercom department.

Those who participated included Kirti Kisan Union district president Jagtar Singh Bhinder, Kisan Wing SAD-A Punjab senior vice-president Gurdeep Singh Khunkhun and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (Piddi Group) district president Paramjit Singh Bhulla. Workers of the Bharti Kisan Union (Qadian), led by district president Pavittar Singh Dhugga, staged a protest and blocked traffic at T-point Bullowal on the Hoshiarpur-Tanda road, alleging that long power cuts for agriculture motors were affecting crops. Powercom XEN Hoshiarpur Harminder Singh reached the spot and assured the protesters that they would be provided adequate power. Following the assurance, the protesters lifted the 'dharna' and traffic movement was restored.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Punjab leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said protests were held at around 31 places in the state outside Powercom offices. Addressing a gathering in the Amritsar border zone, Pandher alleged that farmers were not getting adequate power supply despite earlier assurances by the state government. "The government had promised daytime power supply, but farmers are not even getting a sufficient supply. We demand 16 hours of electricity supply for agricultural motors so that crops are not damaged," he said. The farmers' organisations demanded 16-hour uninterrupted daily power supply for agricultural motors during the crop season and 24-hour power supply for domestic consumers. Other demands included replacement of damaged transformers within 24 hours, transportation of transformers through government vehicles instead of putting the burden on consumers, and registration of transformer theft reports by the Powercom department itself.