Gujarat: Saurashtra farmers to get electricity during daytime

We along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, have held primary discussions with officers and decided that we shall supply electricity to farmers during daytime. We have instructed officers to do it at the earliest, wherever it is technically feasible,” Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said.

By: Express News Service | Rajkot | Published: January 25, 2020 1:03:16 am
The Deputy CM was in Rajkot on Friday to launch a number of government projects in the run-up to the 71st Republic Day. This year, the Gujarat government is holding a state-level R-Day parade in Rajkot.

Farmers in selected pockets of Saurashtra region of the state, will soon get power supply during the day for irrigating their farms, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced on Friday.

“Our Cabinet colleague and Energy Minister Saurabh Patel was in Rajkot recently. He said that farmers of Sauarshtra are demanding that they be supplied power during daytime. We along with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, have held primary discussions with officers and decided that we shall supply electricity to farmers during daytime. We have instructed officers to do it at the earliest, wherever it is technically feasible,” Patel said while addressing a public meeting in Rajkot.

The Deputy CM was in Rajkot on Friday to launch a number of government projects in the run-up to the 71st Republic Day. This year, the Gujarat government is holding a state-level R-Day parade in Rajkot.

Saurashtra is home to mega carnivorous animals such as lions and leopards. Many forest areas are surrounded by agro-pastoral landscapes, and incidents of leopards attacking farmers or farm labourers are often reported from the region. Therefore, farmers in such areas across which the Gir forest and other protected forest areas are spread — especially in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts — have been demanding that they be given electricity for irrigating their crops during the day.

Recently, two Asiatic lions were reportedly camping in Chotila taluka of Surendranagar district, and farmers in villages of the area have also been demanding power supply during daytime. Incidents of leopards attacking people on agricultural fields are also reported from the south Gujarat region.

The state government supplies electricity to farmers for eight hours everyday, but the supply is in rotation. Farmers get power at night for one week and during the day the next week.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-saurashtra-farmers-to-get-electricity-during-daytime-6234060/