Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): Farmers staged a protest on Thursday against erratic power supply and alleged misconduct by linemen. They demanded 10 hours of daytime electricity for irrigation as promised by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Hundreds of farmers, accompanied by state Congress secretary Parshuram Sisodia, district Backward Classes Cell president and district panchayat member Deepak Singh Gurjar and Dhundharka block Congress president Gopal Vishwakarma, gheroaed Gurjar Bardia grid station and raised slogans against the power distribution company and the government.
When their demands were ignored, protesters blocked the Mandsaur-Sitamau road for 30 minutes, causing long queues of vehicles on both sides. During the protest, a heated argument broke out between Congress members and junior engineer Vivek Mishra.
However, the situation calmed after DE Deepak Jain arrived from Mandsaur and held discussions with the farmers. Afzalpur police station in-charge Shailendra Singh Kanesh and his team also intervened to prevent escalation.
Farmers alleged that linemen routinely misbehave with consumers, demanding immediate removal of the errant personnel. Parshuram Sisodia criticised the BJP government, claiming that Chief Minister Yadav’s instructions for daytime irrigation supply remain unfulfilled. He accused local authorities of ignoring farmers’ concerns, fostering corruption and creating an atmosphere of anarchy.
