M A I N   N E W S

Powerless farmers take to the streets
Tribune Reporters

Lalton Kalan, July 15
Irritated by erratic power cuts, thousands of farmers took to the streets and gheraoed PSEB offices all over the state today.

Close on the heels of attack on three sub-stations of the PSEB by irate farmers in Lalton Kalan, Sehora and Manuke villages in the past 48 hours in this district on Saturday night, hundreds of farmers of several villages today staged an over five-hour-long dharna outside a PSEB sub-station in protest against the erratic power supply to their villages.

The farmers hailing from Kheri, Jhameri, Manjupura, Bila, Sehjad and adjoining villages collected outside the Lalton Kalan 220 kv sub-station this morning and left the place only after getting an assurance that the PSEB officials would try to give them a better supply.

But going by the dismal power scenario owing to the delayed monsoon and pressure on the supply due to the cultivation of paddy, it seems unlikely that the PSEB officials would be able to make all and sundry happy. The increased demand of power in the urban areas due to the extreme hot weather is only compounding the matter.

Going by the mood of the agitating farmers, there is panic among the PSEB staff about the security of the infrastructure as well as the employees. With no proper security arrangements provided by the board, the local officials have requested the police department to come to their aid. The police department sources said it was impossible to provide security to all sensitive sub-stations or PSEB offices and only patrolling could be done.

Mr Makhan Lal Garg, of the Jhameri village panchayat and Mr Ashok Mittal of Kehri village told “The Tribune” at the dharna site that the paddy crop was being damaged due to the lack of water. They said it has been more than three days now when the PSEB provided more than an hour of power supply each day.

They said when irate farmers of Dullon Khurd village came to this sub-station yesterday, no PSEB official came to explain the situation. Later, a case was registered against them as they damaged windowpanes and other things, causing a loss of Rs 85,000 to the board.

They said that they have given an ultimatum to the PSEB officials of providing them regular supply, otherwise they would resort to agitation. He said more such dharnas would be organised as residents of number of villages were coming together on this issue.

The PSEB sources disclosed that they were helpless and the farmers should try to understand their position also. They said only rains can save the situation.

JALANDHAR: Irritated over the erratic power supply and unannounced cuts, particularly in rural areas, hundreds of irate villagers virtually took to streets and gheraoed the offices of the PSEB in Goraya, Malsian and Kartarpur today.

Villagers have also formed an action committee to deal with the alleged indifferent attitude of the PSEB authorities towards those residing in rural areas.

Hundreds of men and women hailing from Sangundi, Dhande, Ghurke, Sangh Dhesian, Jhajja Kalan held a dharna in front of the office of the PSEB’s Xen at Goraya. They were shouting anti-PSEB slogans. A group of villagers, hailing from Kartarpur, Kala Bahian, Naugaza and Randhawa Masandaan held a dharna in front of the PSEB office at Kartarpur between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. They alleged that the PSEB authorities had been ignoring those living in rural areas. Our crops have dried in fields and our children are suffering from unannounced power cuts. It was never so bad said Manjit Singh.

The third dharna was organised in front of the PSEB’s Malsian office, where irate men and women shouted slogans against the board. The dharna led by Mr Ramesh Malri, president of the Khet Mazdoor Union, continued for about three hours. People alleged that apart from unannounced cuts, old and defective wires, transformers and low voltage and frequent fluctuations were making their life miserable. Villagers have formed an action committee to deal with the situation.

MANSA: Residents of Kulria, Juglan and Gorkhnath villages in the district gheraoed the 66-kv grid station at Bareta last night.

They allegedly assaulted Mr Sukhwinder Singh, Junior Engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), and damaged two motorcycles, four bicycles and a jeep and broke the furniture of the grid station.

The Bareta area has been suffering from an acute power shortage.

Officials of the PSEB, including Executive Engineer Romesh Kumar, reached the scene this morning and lodged a complaint with the police against 11 farmers.

TARN TARAN: Thousands of farmers today organised a protest rally against the Punjab State Electricity Board for imposing a financial burden on the farming sector.

They marched to the office of the local Deputy Chief Engineer of the PSEB circle and gheraoed it for more than one hour.