Tumakuru official forced to rely on torch light due to power cut; Mandya farmers stage protest

TUMAKURU, MANDYA: With unscheduled power cuts in many parts of the state, it’s not just the common man, but officials and farmers too who are facing the heat.

In Tumakuru, Assistant Commissioner Gowrav Kumar Shetty, who was conducting proceedings in the assistant commissioner’s court at the deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday evening, had to rely on mobile phone torches to go through the documents. The staff held up mobile phones even as he pored over the documents after an unscheduled power cut even as the proceedings were on.

MLA Dr Ranganath presiding over the Amruth Yojana meeting under torchlight.

In Kunigal, MLA Dr Ranganath had to preside over the town municipal council meeting in mobile phone torch light with no power. The MLA was chairing a meeting of the Amrut Yojana when suddenly, there was a power cut.

Farmers in Mandya vented their anger against Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corportion (CESC) for providing only 2-3 hours of three-phase power instead of seven hours. The power utility officials had cited some technical issue for the irregular power supply.

Farmers in different parts of Mandya protest against irregular power supply.

The farmers complained that standing crops are in danger of withering as there is no proper power supply during the day and there is prolonged power cuts during the night. Farmers who depend on pumpsets to irrigate their crops are finding it difficult over the last one week as there is no three-phase power.

Condemning the irregular power supply farmers in different parts of the district in front of CESC offices to demand proper power to save their crops.