Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, July 2

Activists of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) on Friday organised protests in their areas against unscheduled power cuts and inadequate canal water supply to farmers.

The SAD workers, under the leadership of Iqbal Singh Sandhu, a former member of the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board, gheraoed the office of Powercom subdivision, Chabal, for hours on Friday. Braving the scorching heat, the activists staged a dharna.

Iqbal Singh Sandhu, while addressing the protesters, said the state government had failed to provide uninterrupted eight-hour power supply to the farmers. He said large areas of paddy fields have been converted to dry land due to insufficient water supply, besides domestic power supply was also not up to the mark. He condemned the state government for increasing the power tariff many times.

He took note of withdrawal of the social welfare schemes launched by the previous state government. Other SAD leaders too spoke on the occasion and highlighted the problems being faced by the border area farmers.

Workers of the Bharti Kisan Union, led by Gurbaj Singh Sidhwan, staged a dharna in front of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) to highlight the problems of Khemkeran area farmers. Jasbir Singh Gandiwind, district president of the union, said the farmers were neither getting uninterrupted power supply nor canal water supply for decades. He said the canal water system had been collapsed as the water distributaries had not been cleaned for the past many years.

He stressed on deloading of the overloaded feeders and replacement of burnt transformers within 24 hours. The union presented a memorandum of their demands to Jagwinderjit Singh Grewal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General). The workers also protested in front of the office of Deputy Chief Engineer in Tarn Taran.