Farmers up in arms over Punjab’s power crisis: Ultimatum issued to Powercom; warning of a siege of SE offices on July 6

July 2, 2026

The Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Sangharsh has launched a campaign against the government and Powercom over the power crisis in Punjab. As part of this initiative, organization leaders in Amritsar submitted a memorandum to the Powercom Superintending Engineer (SE), demanding an assurance of regular electricity supply for agricultural purposes.

Farmers state that agricultural pump sets and domestic consumers have been facing frequent power outages for a long time, creating a severe crisis for the paddy crop. Speaking to the media, organization leader Palvinder Singh Mahal noted that this is not an issue limited to Amritsar alone; farmers’ organizations across Punjab are submitting similar memoranda to electricity officials.

He pointed out that the paddy season is at its peak, yet the lack of adequate electricity prevents water from reaching the fields on time. Consequently, standing paddy crops across thousands of acres are on the verge of drying up.

He emphasized that farmers cultivate crops using borrowed money and nurture them like family members; a lack of timely irrigation would result in massive financial losses. In light of this, the organization has issued an ultimatum to the government and the electricity department, setting a deadline of the 5th.

Ultimatum until July 5; warning of major protests

Farmer leaders have clearly warned that if the power supply is not regularized by July 5, large-scale protests and sit-ins (gherao) will be staged outside Powercom SE offices across Punjab on July 6. They stated that the government and the electricity department would bear full responsibility for the consequences of this agitation.

Wide gap between government claims and ground reality

Palvinder Singh Mahal also questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claims regarding the provision of 12 to 24 hours of electricity to farmers. He asserted that the ground reality is starkly different; in many areas, farmers are not even receiving a continuous two-hour power supply.

He alleged that the government’s claims exist only on paper, while farmers continue to face immense hardships. The farmers’ organization has demanded that the government immediately regularize the electricity supply so that the paddy crop can be saved and farmers can be spared financial loss.