At the crucial time of paddy transplantation, the electricity crisis has worsened in Jagraon, much to farmers’ dismay. The Punjab Government’s repeated assurances of providing farmers with eight hours of uninterrupted power supply for agricultural motors once again fell flat on Tuesday.
Angered by insufficient electricity, farmers gheraoed the Powercom office on Sidhwan Bet Road, raising slogans against the government and the Powercom management. The protest was staged by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda).
Farmers warned that if power supply was not restored within 48 hours, they would launch a protest.
The crisis has now spread from urban to rural areas, severely affecting daily life.
Block president Tarsem Singh said, due to the lack of electricity, motors remained idle for hours, preventing timely irrigation of paddy fields.
This had created a serious threat to crops, he added.
Leaders alleged that, while the region was reeling under extreme heat, the government had left farmers struggling for electricity.
They accused the authorities of making tall promises of eight-hour supply during elections and meetings, saying these promises had remained only on paper.
They said, despite prior warnings from the Meteorological Department about intense heat and a weak monsoon, the government failed to prepare any effective plan to boost power generation and supply.
Shortage of staff in the Powercom, mismanagement, and official apathy were directly hurting farmers, they said.
Farmer leaders said the current government, which claimed to bring about change, was following the same path as previous regimes, failing to meet even the most basic needs of cultivators. If the situation continued, a major farmers’ agitation would erupt across the region, they added.
After the protest, farmers submitted a memorandum to Executive Engineer Mahinder Singh Sidhu, warning that if supply was not normalised within one–two days, they would intensify the struggle by blocking roads.
