Farmers and residents of Fatehpur Behra in Dera Bassi blocked the road outside the Saidpura power grid on Monday, protesting against persistent irregularities in electricity supply. The protest, which lasted about two hours, caused significant traffic disruptions on the road near the grid.
Protest Over Power Cuts Affecting Irrigation
The protesters, including local farmers, alleged that power supply to their fields had been disrupted for an extended period, directly impacting tubewells and crop irrigation. They claimed this led to substantial financial losses. The demonstrators raised slogans against the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the Punjab government, and the Dera Bassi MLA, accusing them of inaction despite repeated complaints.
Farmer leaders present at the scene expressed concern that the situation was damaging crops and warned that if timely power supply was not restored, their agitation would intensify in the coming days.
Traffic Jam and Commuter Inconvenience
The road blockade led to long queues of vehicles on both sides, causing inconvenience to commuters for nearly two hours. Many motorists were forced to take alternative routes. Local businesses and schoolchildren were also affected by the logjam.
Officials Intervene, Assure Action
PSPCL officials, including the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Dera Bassi, arrived at the scene and attempted to negotiate with the protesters. They explained that technical inspections of the grid and necessary repairs would begin soon to ensure uninterrupted power supply to farms as scheduled.
Dera Bassi Station House Officer (SHO) Sumit Mor appealed to the farmers to resolve the situation peacefully and restore traffic. Following assurances from PSPCL, the farmer leaders agreed to lift the blockade after two hours, and traffic gradually returned to normal.
Wider Power Issues in Mohali Rural Areas
Separately, several rural areas in Mohali, including Mullanpur, Parol, Tira Rehmapur, Sangalan, Ratwara, Toggan, Mastgarh, Kansal, Shivalik Vihar, Dasmesh Nagar, Karoran, Nayagaon, Tanda, Tandi, Masol, Kane da Bahra, Perch, Seonkh, Singha Devi, Nada, Shigariwal, and New Chandigarh, have been experiencing daily power cuts. According to PSPCL, these outages are due to the final stages of high-temperature low-sag conductor augmentation work on the 66 KV Majra to Mullanpur line. However, residents claim the work has been ongoing for months without completion, with daily cuts since June 11, making life difficult for rural residents and farmers during peak summer.
