Mysure, 11 September

Scores of farmers led by State Sugarcane Growers Association staged a demonstration outside the main office of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited at Hinkal in the city on Friday, protesting against erratic power cuts affecting irrigation and cultivation of crops over the past week. Over 30 lakh farmers depend on irrigation pumps across the state. 

State Sugarcane Growers Association president Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj was present at the demonstration, along with Kerehundi Rajanna, Kasuvinahalli Mahesh and others.

The protesters shouted slogans against the union and state governments, the district-in-charge minister and the state power and energy minister, alleging that they are neglecting the interests of farmers. The government, which promised seven hours of uninterrupted power supply a day to irrigation pumps, now provides only three to four hours a day, the protestors said.   

They further accused the state government of releasing water to Tamil Nadu from its reservoirs but not for irrigation activities. 

The protesters threatened to intensify their agitation across the state if the government continued to neglect rural areas in providing power supply.