Members of the Doaba Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee staged a protest outside the PSPCL office in Jalandhar on Sunday, raising concerns over frequent power cuts that they say are severely affecting agricultural operations during the crucial paddy cultivation season. According to the information, these protests are being held all over Jalandhar, also if problems are not resolved, the protests may worsen.
Complaints of the farmers
Speaking during the protest, farmer leaders said that uninterrupted electricity is essential at this time of the year, as paddy transplantation and irrigation depend heavily on a regular power supply. They alleged that repeated outages and unscheduled power cuts have made it difficult for farmers to provide timely irrigation to their fields, resulting in delays in farming activities. The protesting farmers said that electricity disruptions are not only impacting agriculture but are also creating inconvenience for residents in several areas. They claimed that prolonged outages have disrupted daily routines and forced farmers to spend additional time and resources managing irrigation schedules. According to the farmer leaders, the current paddy season demands continuous and reliable electricity so that water can be supplied to fields without interruption. They said that every hour of delay in irrigation can affect crop management, particularly during the transplantation phase, when maintaining adequate water levels is critical for healthy crop growth.
Promises to the farmers
Speaking to Charandeep Singh, A farmer leader it was reported that promises of 8 hours of continuous supply of electricity was promised but only 2-3 hours of supply was given. It was informed that frequent power cuts took place in the last two weeks and maintained a continuous pattern. The power supply was only given for 20-25 minutes in one stretch and then a message of power cut of 1-1:30 hours was sent. This disrupted the flow of the process. Another promise made was of supply of adequate water to the farmers. In Doaba no such stream is made to supply water and these promises were not kept as well.
Reason of the protest
The protesters gathered outside the PSPCL office to demand a stable and uninterrupted power supply, urging authorities to ensure that electricity remains available during peak agricultural hours. They claimed that while they were staging the protest, electricity supply in the area appeared to improve, but maintained that a long-term solution is needed rather than temporary relief. Farmer representatives stressed that their demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to the recurring issue of power cuts rather than creating disruption. They said that uninterrupted electricity is a basic requirement for the farming community, especially during the paddy season when irrigation schedules are tightly planned
Helplessness of the farmers
Talking to another leader of the community, it was found that if the rice crops of the farmers are not grown in a good condition this might lead to farmers taking crucial steps. They mentioned that many farmers are already under heavy loans, on top of this if this crop is also ruined, farmers may suicide.
Warning to the authorities
The committee warned that if the problem of frequent power outages is not resolved permanently, farmers may intensify their agitation in the coming days. They said that they would continue to raise the issue until a dependable power supply is ensured for agricultural consumers. The protest remained peaceful as farmers voiced their concerns outside the power utility office. Officials were informed of the demands, while the demonstrators reiterated that a reliable electricity supply is essential to safeguard agricultural operations and prevent unnecessary hardships for farmers during one of the busiest periods of the farming calendar.