Farmers nail govt claim of 24-hr power supply to agri sector

Nizamabad: Angry over frequent power cuts, farmers staged a dharna on National Highway 63 at Mortad mandal in Nizamabad district on Tuesday.

The farmers allege that seeds are sown in crop fields during the kharif season and they dry up due to lack of water. Farmers are angry that they are suffering from power cuts due to inadequate rainfall. They said they are staging a dharna on the roadside for electricity to protect the crops.

The farmers did not listen even though the power department officials came and appealed to them to call off the protest.

The farmers said that they won't budge until they were clearly assured on the current supply. Eventually the AD came to the protest site and called to the protesters and farmers called off the dharna after promising to take collective action to ensure electricity.

The AD said there were disruptions in current supply due to coal shortage.

The Chief Minister and Ministers and MLAs are claiming in every meeting that the government is supplying free 24-hour power supply to farmers. The farmers are incensed that they were being given only 4 to 6 hours of electricity every day.

They alleged that they could not say how many trips were made during those six hours.

If there is any actual rain or trouble, it is said that if the water is pumped through bore wells, the current or the crops will dry up.

However, the farmers demanded 24-hour uninterrupted power supply as promised by the government.