Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday visited Mehna village in the Lambi Assembly segment in Muktsar district to take stock of drying paddy fields due to inadequate power supply for agricultural tubewells, and criticised the state government over the power crisis.
He said that farmers were facing severe difficulties due to prolonged power cuts and claimed that the previous SAD government had made Punjab a power surplus state 15 years ago. He accused the current government of failing to address farmers’ concerns.
“There is a need to install new thermal plants, biomass plants and solar power plants to generate more electricity and meet the demand. If the AAP remains in power, the situation will only worsen," said Sukhbir.
Meanwhile, farmers continued protests against the shortage of electricity supply needed to operate tubewells in their fields.
Agitating farmers in Muktsar, Barnala and several other parts of the state raised slogans demanding uninterrupted eight-hour free power supply during the paddy season.
In Muktsar district, farmers blocked the Muktsar-Bathinda road near Bhallaiana village on Monday, disrupting traffic as part of their protest. The farmers said inadequate electricity was affecting irrigation and threatening their paddy crop.
Meanwhile, with power crisis deepening, the power cuts are now being imposed in urban areas too.
