Regularise electricity to villages or will snap supply to cities: Tikait brothers

Launching a scathing attack on the ruling governments over farmers’ issues, especially the poor power scenario, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Naresh Tikait and his brother Rakesh Tikait on Sunday threatened to snap the electricity supply in urban areas if villages also do not get regular power.

They further warned that farmers would tie their livestock in police stations if transportation of hay from Haryana and Punjab continued to be blocked on the borders of the two states.

The Tikait brothers were addressing a massive ‘Kisan Mazdoor panchayat’ at village Kakda of district Muzaffarnagar.

The panchayat was convened by Baliyan Khap, which is headed by Naresh Tikait.

Choudharys and Thambedar (regional heads) of different khaps, representatives of organisations from western UP, Haryana and Punjab attended the panchayat which also witnessed a huge turnout of farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, BKU chief Naresh Tikait raised the issue of frequent and long power cuts in villages, which eventually was having adverse effects on irrigation and other agriculture activities. He said that all major electricity lines pass through the agricultural fields of the farmers and they would ‘uproot’ them if villages were deprived of adequate power supply.

Rakesh Tikait raised a question over the policy of installing electricity meters on tubewells.

“We want to know about the government policy for these meters? Was it following the policy of Haryana, Uttarakhand or Delhi? They earlier reduced power bills for farmers by 50 percent, also declared 300 units free and now they are installing meters without clarifying their policy,” said Rakesh Tikait who directed farmers not to allow the officials to install meters until the state government announces a clear policy regarding the tariff.

Rakesh Tikait also mentioned that wheat production in the state has declined and therefore the state was also facing shortage of hay which is used as fodder for livestock. He said that this has happened for the first time after independence that transportation of hay from neighbouring Haryana and Punjab was being obstructed which led to a whopping increase in its price. Tikait warned officials against prohibiting transportation of hay and said if they ignored their concern, the farmers would tie their livestock in police stations.

He also accused the union government of cheating farmers who ended their 13-month-long movement on the assurance that their issues would be discussed and resolved. “We were ready for talks and the government should respect its assurances,” said Tikait.

General secretary of Sarv Khap Panchayat Subhash Baliyan claimed that a massive crowd turned up at the panchayat which discussed social and other issues. He said that the panchayat called upon people to save water, plant saplings to protect the earth and turn barren land into fertile for food security. Panchayat also appealed to people to discourage foeticide and drug abuse.

Former MP Harendra Malik said that Kisan union is always recognised from the Tikait family that always raised the issues of farmers and battled for their welfare through many movements. He extended his full cooperation and support to Tikait in their battle for farmers and said, “Jo ladega, wo badhega”.

Meanwhile, the success of panchayat is being seen as a jolt to the group of leaders who parted ways from BKU and formed their own organisation BKU (apolitical) to challenge the Tikait brothers.