The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sajjan sops for Capital's farmers

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Thursday, Nov 03, 2005

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New Delhi

Sajjan sops for Capital's farmers

Staff Reporter

Discoms to replace burnt-out transformers; non-functional tubewells to be rectified

NEW DELHI: The Member of Parliament from Outer Delhi, Sajjan Kumar, on Wednesday announced that orders had been issued to private power distribution companies to replace all burnt-out transformers and faulty tubewells that had not been functioning for many years to ensure that farmers in rural Delhi are able to sow their rabi crop without facing any problems.

Addressing a press conference along with some rural Delhi MLAs, Mr. Kumar said a decision to this effect was taken after a meeting with Chief Secretary S. Regunathan, who is also the Principal Secretary (Power), on Monday. The senior Congress leader informed that the electric cables of the tubewells had been stolen or were in bad shape for years and a large number of transformers had also been burnt down.

"Unfortunately, these were not being replaced by the private discoms despite a decision having been taken nearly 10 months ago in the presence of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. The private companies had been demanding payment from the farmers who are already undergoing financial hardship and were not in a position to pay. However, after Monday's meeting, the entire expenditure would now be borne by the Delhi Government," Mr. Kumar announced.

Also present at the press conference were Bijender Singh, Vijay Lochav, Surinder Kumar and Mukesh Sharma (MLAs).

Mr. Kumar informed that during his visit to Najafgarh and Bawana areas he found that strong resentment prevailed among the farmers over the failure of the Delhi Government and the private companies to come to their rescue. They said the failure to look into their problems would lead to serious problems and hit crop sowing. Following this, he took up the matter with Mr. Regunathan and sought to know why the decision taken 10 months ago had not been implemented so far.

After the meeting, the power distribution companies were issued orders to provide new connections for tubewells and draw up plans to provide this facility where it does not exist at present. The development charges for this would be borne by the Delhi Government. He expressed unhappiness at the fact that the bureaucracy was trying to bulldoze the decisions taken by the political leadership and the MLAs also highlighted their serious concern about the poor state of streetlights in the entire rural Delhi belt.

Mr. Kumar also demanded along with these MLAs that colonies set up under the 20-point Programme and villages whose Lal Dora had been extended should be given electricity connections on the same terms and conditions applicable to the villages in those areas.

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