The Punjab chapter of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha on Tuesday staged demonstrations outside offices of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), raising a series of demands related to power supply, smart meters, transformers and the alleged privatisation of the state power utility.
The protest was held outside the office of the Chief Engineer in Amritsar. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the government, seeking immediate redressal of issues affecting farmers and domestic electricity consumers.
According to the organisation, officials of the border zone attended the protest and assured the farmers that the issue of ensuring eight hours of daily power supply to agricultural pump sets would be addressed. They also assured the protesters that a meeting with the PSPCL management on state-level demands would be held on July 15, while a separate meeting to resolve local issues in the border zone would take place on July 10.
Addressing the gathering, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher demanded that farmers be provided at least 16 hours of uninterrupted electricity during the paddy season to facilitate irrigation. He also sought an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply for all domestic consumers across the state.
The organisation demanded that damaged transformers supplying electricity to agricultural pump sets and 24-hour supply areas be replaced within 24 hours. It also urged the power utility to bear the responsibility of transporting transformers and to register FIRs in cases of transformer theft instead of placing the burden on consumers.
The protesters opposed the installation of smart electricity meters, alleging that they were being imposed without consumers’ consent. They demanded that the installation of smart meters be halted, penalty bills issued to consumers who had removed and deposited smart meters during earlier protests be withdrawn and conventional mechanical meters be restored.
The farmer body also sought adequate availability of PVC cables, conductors, transformer accessories and other essential equipment in PSPCL stores. It demanded that the government reverse what it described as the privatisation and corporatisation of PSPCL and restore the utility to the structure of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board.
The organisation further alleged that staff shortages in PSPCL were affecting its functioning and called for immediate recruitment to vacant posts. It also urged the Punjab Government to fulfil its poll promise by cancelling power purchase agreements (PPAs) with private thermal power plants.
The protesters also demanded a high-level inquiry into works being carried out by private contractors within PSPCL, alleging that some projects were being executed in violation of prescribed technical standards, thereby posing risks to public safety.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha warned that if the government failed to address what it described as the legitimate demands of farmers and electricity consumers, it would intensify its agitation in the coming days. There was no immediate response from the Punjab Government or PSPCL to the organisation’s demands.
