UP farmers divided over 100% waiver on power bills for tubewells

Over the next 20 days, BKU (Asli) to convene seven panchayats in Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Amroha and other districts against the installation of meters at tubewells and stray cattle menace

MEERUT Farmers are divided over the UP government’s announcement to provide 100% waiver on farmers’ power bill for tubewells with a few organisations expressing concern over the directives for installation of electricity meters at tubewells.

Farmers in western UP had removed meters installed at their tubewells at many places in the region and dumped them at electricity department offices. (Pic for representation)

Various organisations, including the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait), had recently staged dharna at the office of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited and other places over the issue.

BKU (Asli) and other outfits too had raised their voice against this and farmers removed meters installed at their tubewells at many places in the region and dumped them at electricity department offices.

In a bid to reach out to farmers ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls, the state government on Wednesday announced a 100% waiver on power bills of private tubewell consumers. Prior to this, such consumers were getting 50% rebate.

Few leaders of the BKU had deserted the outfit in May last year and formed BKU (Asli). Spokesman Dharmendra Malik was all praise for the government’s decision of 100% waiver, saying: “It was a long pending demand of farmers, which was fulfilled by the state government. We hope the government will also give a thought to increasing price of sugarcane procurement.”

Other leaders of the organisation - Digamber Singh and Mangeram Tyagi - also hailed the government for fulfilling the demand of farmers.

However, veteran farmer leader Harpal Singh Bilari, who is also president of BKU (Asli), described the announcement as an eyewash. “How could farmers trust such announcement when meters are being installed at tubewells,” he questioned and added: “Farmers would trust the government only after it passes an order against installation of meters.”

Bilari said over the next 20 days his organisation will convene seven panchayats in Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Amroha and other districts against the installation of meters at tubewells, stray cattle menace and no hike in sugarcane procurement price.

Echoing similar views, BKU’s district president in Muzaffarnagar Yogesh Sharma the UP government’s announcement was an eyewash to lure farmers ahead of the LS polls. “We don’t trust them. If they are so concerned about farmers, then should stop installation of meters at tubewells,” he said.

Sharma also accused the state government of not increasing price of sugarcane, which is now lower than in Haryana and other states. He raised the issue of stray cattle destroying crops and attacking farmers.