Farmers protest withdrawal of subsidy on domestic power tariff, sit outside ETO’s house

Farmers staged a protest outside the residence of Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO over the issue of withdrawal of subsidy on electricity tariff here on Monday. They were protesting under the banner of Left organisations like the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI), the Communist Party of India (ML) Liberation and the Kirti Kisan Union.

Speaking on the occasion, farmer leaders stated that the withdrawal of ~3 per unit subsidy on electricity tariff would put a burden of ~1,800 crore on lower and middle class families. The protesters stated that while poor people have been forced to pay more for electricity, industry, traders and big farmers have been left out to enjoy low cost subsidised electricity.

The protestors led by leaders Gurnam Singh Daud, Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, Dhanwant Singh Khatraikalan, Balbir Singh Mudhal and Balbir Singh Jhamka raised slogans against the state government and demanded that subsidy on electricity for domestic consumers should continue.

Rattan Singh Randhawa, a farmer leader, said, “Paying an electricity bill of ~5,000 per month is not possible for low and middle-class income groups. The stopping of subsidy bill on tariff would further increase their electricity bills.”

RMPI general secretary Mangat Ram Pasla, who also joined the protest, said the BJP and the RSS are trying to divide society on communal lines and establish hegemony of right wing. He said despite the fact that people are already finding it difficult to make ends meet, the government is trying to divert their attention from the core economic issues to religious ones.

He said the Central Government is acting as an agent of select corporate houses and every policy made by it is formulated after considering the benefits for these business houses. Pasla said the citizens need to be more vigilant and must come together to force governments on the right course.

The protesters demanded that long-pending issues of the state such as control of Chandigarh, control of dams and reservoirs, distribution of water as per riparian laws, release of political prisoners who have completed their sentences and other promises made by ruling parties must be fulfilled to avoid further unrest in society.