Hundreds of residents of Biran village in Bhiwani district staged a protest on Monday against prolonged power cuts, even though the village is covered under the state government’s Jagmag scheme due to 100 per cent recovery of electricity bills. The villagers issued a warning to the administration to restore 24-hour power supply within three days, failing which they would resort to gheraoing the offices and residences of officials, MPs and MLAs.
Protest and Memorandum
The delegation, led by village sarpanch Sultan Singh, gheraoed the residences of BJP MP from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Dharambir Singh and the local MLA, submitting a memorandum demanding immediate restoration of power supply. The sarpanch alleged that the village had been reeling under an acute power crisis for nearly two months. According to the residents, the Power Department cited overloading and other reasons for the frequent outages, but officials failed to provide a permanent solution despite repeated assurances.
Impact on Daily Life
The prolonged power cuts during the summer have severely disrupted daily life, leading to an acute drinking water shortage in the village. The villagers alleged that the promises of a 24-hour electricity supply made during elections under the Jagmag scheme had now proved hollow. Despite repeatedly approaching officials and public representatives, no concrete measures were taken, forcing them to launch the protest.
Infrastructure Damage
The villagers pointed out that 14 electricity poles had collapsed during a storm on May 3, and the infrastructure had still not been restored even after two months. Biran village, with around 1,400 households and a population of nearly 6,000, is covered under the Jagmag scheme, and residents pay their electricity bills regularly, which is mandatory for the scheme. Despite this, they face severe power disruptions.
Official Response and Warning
MP Dharambir Singh said that 2,000 electricity poles had been damaged across the Bhiwani circle during the thunderstorm, and the administration had been working continuously to restore the network. He added that a sharp rise in electricity demand was also a reason for the power cuts, noting that Haryana’s power demand had touched a record 14,500 MW this year, against the normal demand of around 11,500 MW. The MP reportedly spoke to officials after the protest and directed them to resolve the issue. However, the villagers warned that if the problem is not permanently resolved within three days, they would convene a mahapanchayat and announce a bigger agitation.
