Shivaraj Patil demands 12-hour power supply
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Shivaraj Patil, MLA, staging a demonstration outside the Gescom office in Raichur on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Hundreds of farmers, under the leadership of Shivaraj Patil, Raichur City MLA, staged a demonstration outside the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (Gescom) office in Raichur on Monday, alleging that the government has failed to fulfil its promise of providing 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply to rural areas.
The protesters expressed anguish against the officials, pointing out that agricultural pump sets are receiving less than five hours of continuous electricity daily. Crops such as cotton and groundnut are on the verge of drying up due to lack of water, they said, alleging that multiple representations submitted to Gescom officials had yielded no results.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Patil condemned the power shortage, noting the irony that land-losers whose lands were acquired for power generation projects in the district are now deprived of adequate electricity. He accused Gescom of creating artificial distress alongside the prevailing drought conditions in the State by enforcing power cuts on agricultural feeders.
Farmers from various villages across Raichur taluk displayed withered crops in front of the office to highlight their plight.
Former Corporation members N. Srinivas Reddy, Mahendra Reddy, U. Narasareddy, and several local farmers participated in the agitation.
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