Farmers across Punjab have intensified protests over inadequate power supply, blocking highways and staging demonstrations outside power grids for the past two days. The state recorded a peak power demand of 16,604 MW on Saturday, exacerbating the crisis.
Highway Blockades and Protests
In Bathinda district, farmers from Mandi Kalan and neighboring villages blocked the Rampura Phul-Talwandi Sabo National Highway. Similarly, in Barnala district, farmers blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh National Highway near Tapa, alleging they received only three to four hours of electricity instead of the promised eight hours for about a week. They claimed that despite approaching officials at the Tapa power grid, no action was taken, forcing the blockade.
At Aulakh village in Muktsar district, farmers erected a tent on the Malout-Muktsar road, blocking it entirely. They stated that erratic power supply is affecting paddy transplantation and irrigation, risking crop drying and causing financial losses.
Widespread Unrest Across Districts
Similar protests were reported from villages in Barnala’s Rureke Kalan area, where farmers gheraoed power department officials. In Muktsar district’s Lambi Assembly constituency on Saturday, farmers blocked the national highway and demonstrated outside the Badal and Killianwali power grids over prolonged power cuts.
Senior farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that protests would be held outside PSPCL offices on June 30 over inadequate power supply and other issues.
Officials and Political Reactions
Power department officials attributed the outages to system-wide power cuts ordered by higher authorities, not local technical faults. Videos of farmers arguing with officials have gone viral on social media.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged in a social media post, "The entire Punjab is facing a severe power crisis. Farmers and the general public are suffering due to prolonged power outages. However, the Chief Minister is busy gathering party workers in village meetings and indulging in political theatrics. In the past four and a half years, he has pushed Punjab towards ruin."
Relief from Heatwave
Meanwhile, parts of Bathinda and Mansa districts received rainfall on Sunday, bringing some relief from the ongoing heatwave.
