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Punjab: Protesting farmers lay siege to PSPCL office in Patiala, stall work
Patiala district police chief Varun Sharma intervened on Thursday evening and managed to free 24 employees, who were inside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited building when the farmers blocked the exit gate
Work at the head office of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Patiala came to a halt on Friday after farmers blocked its entry and exit gates.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) activists, who are holding an indefinite protest in support of their demands, had blocked the PSPCL exit on Thursday evening and escalated their agitation by blocking the main gate on Friday.
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Patiala district police chief Varun Sharma intervened on Thursday night and managed to free 24 employees who were inside the building when the farmers laid siege to it.
The farmers are demanding that state stop charging commercial rates on electricity connections taken for ancillary businesses, such as dairying.
“There was a meeting of whole time directors (WTD) but it has to be shifted as farmers blocked the gates,” a PSPCL official said, requesting anonymity.
A PSPCL spokesman said that since the entry and exit gates had been blocked, work had to be suspended. “It’s a crucial season for paddy sowing, but the farmers’ blockade has disrupted our work. The staff came but wasn’t allowed to enter.
The management has apprised the state government of the situation and urged it to resolve the issue at the earliest.
