Farmers stage protest against power sector privatisation

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Committee burnt effigies of the state government and Centre at Baba Bakala town near here on Saturday. The farmers staged a protest against the proposed amendments to the Electricity Act, the black marketing of DAP fertiliser, and the lack of a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

During the protest, the farmers raised slogans against the government, accusing it of acting against the interests of the farming community. They said that the new amendments in the Electricity Act would pave the way for the privatisation of the power sector, leading to higher electricity rates for both farmers and common people.

Addressing the gathering, Sarwan Singh Pandher, General Secretary of the Committee, said that farmers would fully support the employees of the power corporation in their struggle to stop the privatisation of the electricity department. He added that the government’s policies were creating serious hardships for farmers, especially during the sowing season when fertilisers are being sold at inflated prices.

Pandher also criticised the government for failing to implement a legal guarantee on MSP, saying that without such a law, farmers remain at the mercy of market forces. He urged the government to immediately withdraw the proposed amendments and ensure timely supply of fertilisers at fixed rates.