- Above 15000 smart meters plucked out and piled up in the office of Tata Power in Padampur, Bargarh, Odisha
- SKM urges Odisha CM Desist from Vindictive Actions against Farmers
- Demands PM Modi to Keep Promise, Initiate Discussion
- Call to join the 26th November 2024 joint worker-farmer protest in districts
New Delhi: SKM extends full support to farmers in district Bargarh, Western Odisha,in their massive struggle of boycotting prepaid smart meters against the privatisation of electricity distribution that has been handed over to Tata Power. Tata Power is installing prepaid smart meters against the agreement made by the Modi Government on 9.12.2020 with SKM to discuss before enacting the Electricity Privatisation Bill. SKM has demanded 300 units of free electricity per month to the families engaged in farming.
In district Bargarh, Western Odisha, more than 15,000 farmers protested against the smart meters and voluntarily removed the smart meters installed at their homes and farms and piled them up in the office of Tata Power in Padmapur and other blocks. Smart Meter boycott has become a widespread movement in Bargarh and surrounding districts of Western Odisha.
SKM strongly condemns the suppression of the peaceful movement of farmers against privatisation of the power sector by the BJP government of Odisha led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The BJP that has come to power for the first time in Odisha, has adopted a repressive approach towards this movement. A notice has been issued to the Kisan leader Ramesh Mohapatra, calling him a ‘habitual offender’. It should be noted that the only FIRs registered against him by the police are in the cases of farmers voluntarily boycotting smart meters. A petition has been filed in the Cuttack High Court to get this notice quashed. The court has issued notice to the Odisha government. Bargarh District Bar Association and Cuttack High Court Bar Association are supporting the farmers’ movement. SKM demands CM to immediately withdraw all the false cases filed against farmer leader Ramesh Mohapatra and other activists and start discussion with the farmers agitating for their just cause.
Privatisation of electricity has now become another tool to exploit the farmers and the public in general. In the areas where the farmers’ movement had been active for a long time on the issues of minimum support price, crop insurance and irrigation, the organized and non-violent resistance to the loot in the name of electricity is most effective including massive boycott of prepaid smart meters. Such struggles has become widespread across the country now and SKM demands Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep the promise made by his government on 9th December 2020 to discuss with SKM on the electricity privatisation bill in the wake of the historic farmers struggle at Delhi borders. PM must immediately initiate discussions with the agitating farmers instead of recourse to suppress the peaceful struggles.
On 8 November 2024,a ‘Krishak Garjan Samavesh’ was organized by the ‘Sanyukt Krishak Sangathan’ in Padampur, West Odisha . Representing SKM P Krishnaprasad, Aflatoon and Rajendra Chaudhury attended the public meeting.
SKM appeals farmers protesting against privatisation of electricity across India to join the joint worker-farmer protest on 26 November 2024 in districts called by SKM and JPCTU.
Issued by –
Media Cell | Samyukt Kisan Morcha
Contact: 9447125209 | 9830052766
samyuktkisanmorcha@gmail.com
