Members of the district unit of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged a protest here on Thursday against the continued power cuts, both in urban and rural areas.
The members went in a procession from the Mahila Samaj to the office of the Raichur division of the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (Gescom). They staged a dharna there demanding uninterrupted power supply to all rural feeders in the district till harvesting of crops was completed. They also sought uninterrupted power supply in urban and semi-urban areas so that students were not being inconvenienced.
Submitting a memorandum to Nagarajan, Chief Engineer of the Raichur division of Gescom, president of the district unit of the vedike K. Narayana said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had promised round the clock power supply to rural feeders. But the continued power shortage in rural areas had affected the standing crops.
He said that farmers in the district were distressed as they were unable to take up cultivation during kharif season owing to lack of rains. Their woes were aggravated following the unprecedented heavy rain in October last. Later, they took up cultivation of crops under lift irrigation schemes, hoping to recover the losses. But the continued power cuts had upset their plans.
