AHMEDABAD: The farmers' agitation demanding higher compensation for electricity poles erected on agricultural land in Gujarat's Morbi district has entered its third phase, with the movement expanding beyond Saurashtra into a statewide campaign.
Farmer leaders have warned that if electricity poles are not removed from farmlands or adequate compensation is not paid, the issue will become a major electoral battle ahead of the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections.
The latest escalation followed a late-night strategy meeting in Jetpar village on July 8, where representatives from 12 Saurashtra districts unanimously decided to intensify the agitation.
Farmers from Morbi, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Botad, Kutch and Banaskantha attended the meeting and discussed losses caused by electricity transmission infrastructure passing through agricultural land.
Addressing the gathering, farmer leaders warned that if the government continued allowing electricity poles to be installed without ensuring fair compensation, they would take the fight to the ballot box.
"If the government refuses to remove these electricity poles from farmers' fields and continues to ignore our demand for proper compensation, then whether the poles are uprooted or not, the government itself will be uprooted from Gujarat in the 2027 Assembly elections," the protesting farmer leaders said.
The agitation began with a 19-day indefinite hunger strike by farmers in Jetpar village, demanding enhanced compensation from a private power company for electricity poles installed on their land. As the health of several protesters deteriorated, women from the village intervened and urged the fasting farmers to end their protest.
In response, the Gujarat government announced a revised compensation policy for electricity poles and transmission lines laid by private power companies. However, Jetpar farmers rejected the policy, saying it failed to adequately compensate them for their losses, and formally launched 'Agitation Part 3'.
Farmer leaders said the movement would now be organised across Gujarat rather than remain confined to a single village. As part of this strategy, another key meeting has been scheduled for Thursday night with representatives from 12 more districts, including Sabarkantha, Patan, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Vav-Tharad, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Narmada.
Movement committee member Raju Amrutia said district, taluka and gram panchayat-level committees would be formed after consultations with farmers across the state. Once the organisational structure is in place, the agitation for higher compensation from private power companies will be intensified in a coordinated manner.
Farmer leaders said suggestions gathered during the consultations would shape the next phase of the movement, with discussions focusing on legal, organisational and public mobilisation strategies.
Following the consultations, a Gujarat-level Agitation Committee will be constituted to lead the statewide campaign. The committee will spearhead 'Agitation Part 3', with its primary demand being substantially higher compensation for farmers affected by electricity poles and transmission lines installed by private power companies. What began as a village-level protest in Jetpar has now evolved into a statewide farmers' movement with both economic and political implications.