Agitated over poor availability of power supply for paddy irrigation, farmers held hostage an executive engineer (XEN) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) at his office in Muktsar’s Badal village for over eight hours on Wednesday.
A large number of farm union activists gathered outside the power grid to gherao it around 1 pm. Officials said XEN Sanjay Singla and a sub-divisional officer (SDO) were inside when the protestors announce to lock the office till their demands are met.
Later, the SDO managed to come out, but the XEN was still inside till the filing the report.
Bathinda senior superintendent of police BS Virk, who has the additional charge of Muktsar, said efforts are being made by the police and the PSPCL officials to resolve the matter.
PSPCL officials said farmer union activists demand a written assurance of uninterrupted power supply for eight hours every day, appointment of field staff for better maintenance of supply lines were among other conditions to end the agitation.
Muktsar superintendent engineer of PSPCL Paramjit Singh Brar said the district police and power management were apprised of the situation turning serious.
{{/usCountry}}Muktsar superintendent engineer of PSPCL Paramjit Singh Brar said the district police and power management were apprised of the situation turning serious.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, another group of farmers blocked Dabwali-Malout national highway in Muktsar district as a protest against poor power supply.