Farmers, SAD protest against govt, PSPCL for power crisis

Kuldip Bhatia
Ludhiana, July 2

The Punjab Government and the management of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) are under fire from various quarters for the dismal power scenario prevailing in the state, that too when the paddy sowing season is at its peak. The situation has been further compounded by restrictions (compulsory weekly offs) on industry and unscheduled power cuts being imposed on urban feeders in the state to meet the gap between demand and availability of power.

Keep ACs off at MC offices: Commissioner

Amid the state reeling under unscheduled power cuts, the official working time in all MC offices will be 8 am to 2 pm from July 2 to July 10, MC Commissioner said. He has also ordered to keep the air-conditioners off at all MC offices during these hours.

Akali Dal workers, led by district president Ranjit Singh Dhillon, along with activists of their new ally, the Bahujan Samaj Party, held a protest against power shortage and persistent hike in prices of petrol, diesel and LPG at Jagraon Bridge. At the same time, activists of the BKU-Ekta Ugrahan held a protest at Mini-Secretariat and submitted a memorandum to the Punjab Government through the Additional Deputy Commissioner demanding uninterrupted power supply for paddy sowing and rollback of the hike in prices of petrol and diesel.

Speaking at the protest, senior Akali Dal leaders Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Hira Singh Gabria and Ranjit Singh Dhillon lambasted the Congress government for gross mismanagement in the power sector which has now created an unprecedented crisis, both for the industry and business which are already reeling under adverse effects of prolonged lockdown due to pandemic, and the agriculture sector which is in the midst of peak paddy sowing season.

Akali leaders charged the Congress government with turning a power-surplus state into power-starved state with the people forced to pay the penalty for blunders and inefficiency of the government in making foolproof arrangements for the anticipated demand of electricity during this particular season.

Sadhu Singh Panjeta and Sudagar Singh Ghudani, president and general secretary, respectively, of the BKU-Ekta Ugrahan, charged the government with allowing the oil marketing companies and big business houses to systematically loot the people by persistently jacking up prices of petrol and diesel. “To make the matters worse, farmers are not getting promised an eight-hour supply due to unscheduled cuts and tripping of supply due to overload,” said the BKU leaders.

The farmers’ body demanded that if the government could not assure uninterrupted power supply to farmers for paddy sowing, it ought to compensate the farmers for extra expenditure incurred on diesel to run the tubewells.