Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), led by district president Gurjinder Singh, staged a protest outside the Powercom grid office in Sirhind on Monday, demanding uninterrupted electricity for agricultural purposes. The farmers accused the Punjab Government and Powercom of failing to fulfill their promise of providing eight hours of continuous power for irrigation, which they said is critical for the paddy crop.
Farmers Warn of Crop Loss Due to Power Outages
The protesters highlighted that paddy requires timely watering, but frequent and prolonged outages have left farmers struggling to irrigate their fields, putting the entire crop at risk. They said the irregular supply has severely disrupted paddy transplantation, forcing them to wait for electricity for long hours, which has increased the risk of crop losses.
According to Gurjinder Singh, the government’s assurances have proved hollow. He warned that if regular power supply is not restored within the next one or two days, farmers would be forced to block the national highway in protest. He added that the administration would be solely responsible for any inconvenience caused.
Urban Areas Also Affected by Power Cuts
The issue has also affected urban areas, where residents have been facing frequent undeclared power cuts and erratic supply over the past several days, disrupting household routines and business activities. Consumers complained that electricity outages were occurring without prior notice, adding to public frustration amid the ongoing summer demand.
Powercom Official Assures Resolution
Later, a Powercom Executive Engineer (XEN) reached the spot and held talks with the union leaders. The official attributed the disruption to technical issues and assured the protesters that the faults would be rectified and power supply normalised within the next couple of days. Following the assurance, the farmers called off their protest, but warned that they would intensify their agitation if the promises were not fulfilled.
Earlier, farmers of Jallah village staged a protest outside the local power grid on Sunday against the failure to provide the promised eight-hour electricity supply for agricultural operations. The protesting farmers said the irregular power supply has severely disrupted paddy transplantation, forcing them to wait for electricity for long hours, which has increased the risk of crop losses.
