Bhopal, Nov 5: The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday withdrew its order restricting electricity supply to farmers beyond 10 hours a day after facing severe criticism from the Congress and farmer groups.
The controversial order, issued on November 3 by A.A.K. Jain, Chief General Manager (CGM) of the Madhya Pradesh Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company, had directed that power supply to agricultural feeders must not exceed 10 hours daily. Following the backlash, the state government suspended the CGM and clarified that it remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted power for agricultural needs.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said his government had no intention of restricting electricity for farmers and took immediate action against the official responsible for issuing the “misleading order.”
“There will be no restriction on power supply for agricultural purposes. The BJP government is committed to providing adequate electricity to farmers. The officer who issued the wrong order has been suspended,” Yadav stated.
The withdrawn circular had further warned that any supply exceeding 10 hours would be treated as a violation, leading to a one-day salary deduction from the concerned operator. It also instructed senior Power Department officials to ensure strict compliance.
Opposition Congress slammed the BJP-led government, alleging that farmers were already struggling with power supply of only 7–8 hours daily, and the now-cancelled directive would have worsened their plight.
Amid growing outrage, the Electricity Department issued a fresh notification on Wednesday, announcing that the previous circular “stands cancelled” and reaffirming the government’s commitment to uninterrupted and reliable electricity for the state’s farmers.
