State Congress unit chief, Jitu Patwari, persisted with his concerted criticism of the state government on Wednesday, claiming that farmers in the state are not being provided adequate electricity during the Rabi sowing season.
Patwari, who has repeatedly cornered the ruling party—its arch-rivals, the Bharatiya Janata Party—fiercely criticised Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister for Farmer Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He blamed the two for neglecting the plight of farmers while they are engaged in campaigning for the upcoming bypolls.
"While elections are being held in Budhni, which is part of the Union Agriculture Minister’s constituency, farmers from dozens of villages in his area have been forced to fall at the feet of the Tehsildar and electricity department officials, pleading for electricity supply," he said in a statement to the media.
Patwari said the situation was grim, as hundreds of farmers blocked the Sironj-Basoda road demanding electricity and shouted slogans against the electricity department and the government.
Patwari further stated that while farmers are already troubled by the lack of electricity for sowing, they are also being harassed by the electricity department."Farmers are struggling with severe problems related to fertilisers, seeds, water, and electricity," he added. "Farmers are not getting even 4–5 hours of electricity, while the BJP government had promised to provide 18 hours of electricity to them," he claimed, before launching into a frontal attack on Chouhan.
Blaming the former chief minister for his apathy towards farmers in the state, Patwari said, "Shivraj Singh Chouhan used to make big promises regarding farmers, but since becoming the Union Agriculture Minister, he has shown no concern for them."Patwari sought to remind Chouhan of his criticism of the 15-month Congress government and questioned his silence over farmers' rights, while accusing the Vidisha parliamentarian of double speak.
The opposition party leader slammed the ruling dispensation at both the centre and state, while asking, "If this is the situation in the constituency of the Union Minister, one can only imagine the condition of farmers elsewhere."
Patwari added that the BJP government and Chouhan should initiate immediate steps to resolve the serious issues of insufficient fertiliser, seeds, electricity, and water to help farmers in their sowing process.He warned that failure to address these issues would result in aggressive farmer agitations led by the Congress.
