Power outages in Sirsa village prompt voter boycott threat

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, May 25

Residents of the Chormar village in the Odhan region of Sirsa, frustrated by power outages, initially announced to boycott voting on Saturday. As tensions rose, the Electricity Department promptly began installing a new transformer after demonstrators gathered outside the polling booth.

According to reports, on Friday, due to fluctuating voltages throughout the day, residents sat in protest outside the local electricity office from 10 pm to 3 am, demanding resolution to the power cuts in the area. After efforts made by the department officials to address their concerns, the residents returned home.

However, by Saturday morning, with no solution in sight, residents staged a protest near the polling centre and decided to boycott exercising their franchise. Among the protesters were Prem Kumar, Surendra Kumar, Dr Binder, Babu Lal, Paramjeet Kaur and Manjeet Kaur, who highlighted the ongoing electrical work in the Dalit Basti on Jagmalwali Road as the root cause of their frustration. Due to the recent maintenance work, voltage irregularities had plagued the area, causing damage to electrical appliances in households, including TVs, refrigerators, coolers, ceiling fans and water pumps.

Following the sudden restoration of electricity on Friday night, electrical appliances were damaged, exacerbating residents’ frustrations. With temperatures rising and power outages continuing, residents took to the streets in protest, prompting electricity department officials to swiftly install a new transformer in the area. Consequently, the local residents resolved to participate in the voting process.

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