Farmers oppose move to amend Electricity Act

MYSURU/ SHIVAMOGGA: Farmers, under the banner of State Sugarcane Farmers’ Association, on Tuesday blocked Mysuru-Ooty Road protesting against the Centre’s move to amend the Electricity Act (2003).
As the Union government is set to bring in an amendment to the act, farmers took to the streets and blocked traffic. They said the law seeks to de-licence the power-distribution business, which is a ploy to adopt power meters to irrigation pumpsets. It is also to privatise the energy department, they stated.
Leading the protest, association president Kurbur Shantakumar said there are 32 lakh irrigation pumpsets in the state, which are proposed to be having power meters, which eventually is to collect power bills from the farming community. He said privatisation of the power sector could have a long-term impact on the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, farmers in Shivamogga were joined by Shivamogga District Congress Committee members in taking out a march from the Congress office to the DC’s office protesting the proposed amendment. They raised slogans against the Union government saying the draft electricity bill seeks to end free electricity supply to agriculture pumpsets. “Farmers are facing financial crisis and cannot take the additional burden of power bills. The amendment is aimed at helping private players,” they alleged.