Piplia Mandi (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers, labourers and social activists led by farmer leader Shyamlal Jokchandra staged a protest on Monday and gheraoed the office of Madhya Pradesh Western Region Power Distribution Company Limited in Mandsaur.
Protesters raised slogans against the Electricity Department and its vigilance team and submitted a memorandum to the Superintending Engineer.
The protesters alleged that the department and vigilance teams registered fabricated electricity theft cases against farmers and consumers.
They claimed officials detained people at police stations without proper investigation and in some cases, arrested and jailed them. They said such actions created fear in rural areas and caused mental distress among farming families.
The memorandum also mentioned allegations of inflated electricity bills, with some consumers allegedly receiving bills amounting to several lakh rupees. Farmers further alleged that officials used coercive methods to recover bills even in cases involving technical faults or wiring issues.
Protesters also highlighted poor electricity infrastructure in villages, including damaged wires, faulty transformers and unsafe high-tension lines passing through residential areas.
