Bengaluru: BJP on Friday criticised the Congress govt for its failure to ensure uninterrupted power supply to farmers, claiming the situation is severely affecting their livelihood.
Party state president BY Vijayendra accused the govt of not being able to fulfil its promise of providing uninterrupted 6-7 hours of power, leaving farmers uncertain about when electricity will be available for their agricultural needs.
“While the officials have been asked to switch on power at 10pm, there will be no electricity till midnight for the farmer to switch on the motor in his field. The situation is such that farmers do not know when power will be provided,” alleged Vijayendra.
He pointed out that with Karnataka reeling under heat and the looming threat of a drought, the govt must act swiftly to prevent crops from withering and ensure that farmers do not suffer. “The govt needs to take precautionary measures by entering into power purchase agreements, if required, and draw up plans, if there is a shortage, to procure electricity from other states,” he said.
Energy minister KJ George had recently maintained that there was no shortage of power in the state.
Amid growing concerns over water scarcity, the govt convened a high-level meeting Thursday with officials from revenue, agriculture, and rural development and panchayat raj (RDPR) departments to assess storage levels in dams and formulate strategies to mitigate a possible drought.