A total of 390 farmers were arrested after they tried to lay siege to office of the Superintending Engineer of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) here on Wednesday in support of their various demands. They sat before the office and blocked traffic.
The farmers demanded supply of three-phase electricity for 20 hours a day for the agriculture pump sets and connections immediately for those who have been waiting for years.
S. Ramanathan, president of Sugarcane Farmers' Association, R. Sukumar, district president of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, Sami Natarajan, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, led the agitation.
Mr. Ramanathan said summer cultivation started in the district and pulses, ground nut and sugarcane crops raised in the district are starving for water. There is an order of the government that power should be supplied for 20 hours. At present only three-hour supply is being provided in night and one to two hours day.
