BARGARH: Despite repeated appeals by the district administration to refrain from protests, farmers of Bargarh district staged yet another agitation against Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL).
On Monday, a large group of farmers along with locals, marched in protest to the office of BDO in Bheden where they submitted a memorandum highlighting their grievances against TPWODL. The farmers later dumped their electricity meters outside the office of the TPWODL sub-divisional officer (SDO), Bheden.
The agitators gathered at the Bheden market yard where they discussed their problems and prepared for the protest. The agitators under the banner of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan then marched up to the office of the BDO in a huge rally and handed over an eight-point charter of demands addressed to the chief minister of Odisha.
Following their demonstration at the BDO office, the protesters proceeded to the TPWODL SDO office where they dumped their dismantled electricity meters in a symbolic act of defiance. After the last such protest, the district administration served a notice to farmer leader, Ramesh Mahapatra terming him a habitual offender on the basis of his actions and participation in several protests in the last four years.
Legal advisor of Sanjukta Krushak Sangathan, Narendra Bhoi said “The company has ignored the complaints of the farmers and consumers which forced them to launch the protest”. Meanwhile, TPWODL remains tight-lipped on the protests.