Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) activists staged a demonstration in front of the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) on Thursday demanding uninterrupted power supply for seven hours to rural areas.
Addressing the farmers, KRRS leader Badagalpura Nagendra said that seven hours of power supply should be ensured till the onset of monsoon in June/July next year.
The KRRS also wanted waiver of pending electricity bills and wanted CESC to issue fresh bills without mentioning the arrears. Mr. Nagendra said the arrears due from farmers were not more than ₹40 crore and hence the government should waive it.
He said coffee and coconut growers were in distress owing to market volatility. Mr. Nagendra said encouragement should be given to solar power generation but till then the government ensure regular supply.
Meanwhile, the sugarcane cultivators’ association held another meeting at Kuvempu Park here and dubbed the government’s policies as “anti-farmer’’.
Farmers’s leader Kurubur Shanthakumar said though the government promised 10 hours of uninterrupted power supply in the election manifesto it was unable to ensure even five hours of it. “This government is fooling the farmers and is worse than the BJP government,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
“The Congress used to accuse the BJP of being a ‘40 per cent commission’ government. But the situation is no better today and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been rendered helpless and he is forced to compromise by the party high command and hence is silent on key issues,” said Mr. Shanthakumar.
He said power supply to farmers was irregular and government was now assuring only five hours of it and it was inadequate. Though the government had declared drought, no drought relief measures had been initiated, Mr. Shanthakumar added.
The farmers also threatened to hold rasta roko on October 24 during Dasara to register their protest against what they described as the government’s indifference.
