Electricity Bill: KMM to submit memos to DCs today

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) has announced that its district units across Punjab will submit memorandums to the respective Deputy Commissioners on December 1, reiterating their key demands ahead of the statewide protest scheduled for December 17. The organisation has been opposing the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, which it believes will have far-reaching consequences for farmers and general consumers.

KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the memorandums would highlight farmers’ unresolved concerns, including compensation for the losses suffered at the Shambu and Khanauri borders earlier this year. He stated that despite repeated appeals, many core issues raised by farmers remain unaddressed.

Pandher said farmers are still awaiting compensation for crop loss, a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and resolution of several long-standing demands. “These issues have been pending for long, and the government has not taken any concrete steps to resolve them. The December 1 submission of memorandums is part of our effort to remind the administration of the urgency of these matters,” he said.

Raising concerns about the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, Pandher asserted that the changes would pave the way for the privatisation of electricity corporations. Such a move, he warned, would significantly burden ordinary consumers.

“Privatisation will make electricity unaffordable for common people and farmers. The amendment is not in the interest of Punjab’s agrarian economy,” he added.

The KMM has called upon all district-level units to mobilise farmers for the December 17 protest, which is expected to witness widespread participation. The organisation said it would intensify its agitation if the government fails to address the demands outlined in the memorandums.