Hoshiarpur: Farmers in the Garhshankar block, led by the Sher-e-Punjab Kisan Union and Kirti Kisan Union, held a large protest at the Garhshankar electricity office complex to oppose the long power outages. During the protest, farmers raised slogans against the Electricity Board and the Punjab government, demanding an uninterrupted 24-hour power supply.
Addressing the gathering, Jaswant Singh Bhatthal (State President, Sher-e-Punjab Kisan Union) and Kulwinder Singh Chahal (District Secretary, Kirti Kisan Union) stated that paddy transplantation is currently in full swing and a significant amount has already been planted; however, the area has been facing prolonged power cuts for several days.
In some villages, electricity is available for only two to three hours, forcing farmers to rely on diesel generators. They warned that if the power issue is not resolved soon, they would be compelled to launch an intense agitation. The local Executive Engineer (XEN) of the Electricity Board arrived at the protest site and assured them that uninterrupted power supply would be ensured soon.
The protest was also addressed by various farmer leaders—including Ramjit Singh Denowal Kalan, Gurdeep Singh Chahalpur, Bahadar Singh Khanpur, Sukhvinder Singh Mola Wahidpur, Harbans Singh Rasulpur, Varinder Singh Mattu, Davinder Singh Gogo, Shamsher Singh Chak Singha, Jujhar Singh Kitna, Kamaljit Singh, Aman Sarpanch, Amarjit Singh, Hardeep Singh Garhi, Saba Lallian, and Gurdeep Singh Dhillon—as well as employee leaders Mukesh Kumar, Balbir Singh Khanpuri, and Sattpal Kaler, and rationalist leader Joginder Singh Kulewal.
Paramjit Singh Babbar, who conducted the proceedings, clearly stated that if the power supply is not regularized, they are fully prepared for a prolonged struggle. Following this, the farmers present at the protest site decided that if the electricity supply was not restored within 24 hours, they would stage a road blockade in Garhshankar town.