It is said that deep desires always come true and 71-year-old Gowramma’s wish for a 1200-foot-deep borewell operated by a 12.5 HP pump has come true, thanks to the Madras High Court.
As her advocate Sanjay Pinto points out, on January 26, the day India adopted the Constitution, this farmer got to exercise her fundamental right after a 3.5-year-long struggle. A resident of Kothagondapally village in Hosur taluk of Krishnagiri district, the woman farmer and her family had applied for a power connection under Tatkal scheme by paying ₹4 lakh. However, after about 80% of the work was done, including the installation of transformer, the line could not be extended to her land since it was locked on three sides by two companies and by a road that runs inside Karnataka, on the fourth, said her youngest son Narayanasamy Ramaiah, who had contacted Mr. Pinto and his wife Vidya Pinto.
“Though the land was purchased over four decades ago, we did not get the power connection, since farming was taken up only to ensure food for the large family. It remained a rain-fed field and only small portions were used. But more recently, we thought we too should take up commercial agricultural operations; it was then our mother said she wanted a borewell. Even at this age, she visits the land daily, grazes her two cows, milks them twice a day and earns a small income to look after her expenses,” he added.
Mr. Pinto said that power supply cannot be denied since it is a statutory requirement. “We suggested to Mr.Ramaiah to exhaust all other avenues. When all else failed, we approached the court. Justice Anita Sumanth directed Tangedco to take all steps to ensure power supply. Since the applicant had approached only one company that gave several reasons to not let them take the cable via their campus, she impleaded the other company in the case. That firm agreed to allow the cable to pass. Alongside, Tangedco shifted the lines and the transformer. And finally, Ms. Gowramma got the water she wanted,” he explained.
