Amethi farmers end six-day power protest after officials promise supply fixes

A six-day indefinite sit-in protest against the district's crumbling power supply system and unannounced electricity cuts came to an end at the 132 kV power station in Gauriganj, Amethi, after officials provided a written assurance to the demonstrators. Farmers and members of a women's committee, the Jan Samiti, had been staging the protest at the power station premises to demand immediate improvements in electricity supply and an end to unscheduled power outages that have severely disrupted daily life and agricultural activities in the area.

The prolonged demonstration finally concluded when several officials from the district administration and the electricity department arrived at the protest site and held detailed discussions with the protesters. The official delegation that reached the dharna location included the SDM, Naib Tehsildar, Circle Officer, Transmission Officer, Executive Engineer and other responsible officers from various departments. After extensive talks, the officials handed over a written assurance to the committee, promising to repair and improve the power supply system within a three-day timeframe and to halt unannounced power cuts that have been plaguing the region.

Following the receipt of the written commitment from the authorities, Jan Samiti president Rita Singh formally announced the end of the sit-in protest. However, she made it clear that the reprieve was conditional and temporary, tied directly to the administration's ability to deliver on its promises within the stipulated period.

Throughout the six days of the demonstration, the protesters had maintained a strong and vocal presence at the power station. Women participants had raised spirited slogans targeting officials they held responsible for the power crisis, chanting slogans against JE Pawan Yadav, SK Chaturvedi, the electricity department as a whole, and even the state's Power Minister. The demonstrators voiced their anger over what they described as the gross negligence and apathy shown by the electricity department toward the suffering of ordinary citizens.

The protesters emphasized that the unannounced power cuts and load-shedding roster had created a cascading crisis affecting multiple aspects of life in the district. Farmers said irrigation had been severely hampered, threatening their crops and livelihoods. Domestic consumers complained that the erratic power supply was disrupting children's studies and interfering with routine household work, making everyday life increasingly difficult.

Rita Singh explained that women and farmers had remained steadfast at the protest site for the entire six-day period, determined not to leave until responsible officials appeared in person and provided a written guarantee of corrective action. She stated that the demonstration had been called off only after officials came to the location and formally committed their assurances in writing.

Addressing the media, Rita Singh expressed gratitude for the role played by journalists in highlighting the protest and the grievances of the people. She credited the media coverage with ensuring that the public's voice reached the concerned officials, ultimately compelling the authorities to visit the dharna site and engage with the demonstrators. She made it clear that the electricity department had been given exactly three days to deliver on its promises. Rita Singh issued a stern warning that if the power supply system did not show tangible improvement within the specified timeframe and if unannounced cuts continued, the committee would seriously consider launching a fresh round of agitation.

All eyes are now on the electricity department to see whether the three-day deadline will bring genuine relief to the power situation in the Gauriganj area, or whether the authorities' written assurance will prove to be yet another empty promise, forcing residents back onto the streets in protest.