GB Nagar farmers to hold stir over steep power bills

Farmers in Gautam Budh Nagar will stage a protest against Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) on February 24, alleging inflated electricity bills, false electricity theft cases, and harassment by company officials. Various farmer organisations, including Kisan Sabha, Kisan Ekta Sangh, and Kisan Parishad, have announced an indefinite sit-in outside NPCL’s Tughalpur office until their demands are met. 

Farmers claim NPCL has been issuing exorbitant electricity bills, with some residents receiving bills running into lakhs of rupees. They also allege that NPCL officials have been falsely implicating them in electricity theft cases. “NPCL has turned into an exploitative force, targeting farmers with excessive bills and fabricated cases,” said Soran Pradhan, national president of Kisan Ekta Sangh. “We will not tolerate this anymore. Our protest will continue until the company stops this harassment,” he added. 

Farmers further alleged that NPCL’s private security personnel forcibly enter homes, install electricity meters without consent, and even resort to physical intimidation. Referring to a specific incident, Rupesh Verma, district president of Kisan Sabha, said, “On January 27, NPCL’s private security forcibly entered the home of a farmer, Sant Raj of Khedi village, misbehaved with the family, and installed an electricity meter against their will.” This incident sparked a protest last week, on February 13. Led by Kisan Sabha and Kisan Ekta Sangh, farmers surrounded the DCP and NPCL offices in Knowledge Park-3.

The issue escalated last week when hundreds of farmers gathered in protest after an FIR was filed against five people, including Sant Raj and his family. The farmers surrounded the DCP Central office and NPCL’s office in Knowledge Park-3, demanding action against what they called biased police behaviour.

In response, NPCL has denied all allegations, terming them “baseless.” The company claimed that some individuals were resisting the installation of electricity meters and were engaged in power theft. “NPCL is being wrongly accused, while our officials were simply carrying out their duties, which some people were attempting to obstruct,” said NPCL spokesperson Manoj Jha.

Separately, a delegation of Kisan Sangharsh Morcha leaders met Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate (DM) Manish Kumar Verma on Wednesday, raising concerns over the non-implementation of the high-power committee’s recommendations on land acquisition and compensation. Farmers alleged that, despite clear directives from the Uttar Pradesh government, local authorities failed to act, leaving long-pending compensation and land acquisition issues unresolved. “The administration has been delaying justice for farmers. Even after repeated assurances, nothing has changed,” said Rupesh Verma. He also pointed out that, despite a committee being formed for circle rate revision nearly 1.5 years ago, no action has been taken. 

The DM assured farmers that the circle rates would be revised soon. “The issues raised by the delegation are already being looked into, and the administration is committed to resolving the grievances of farmers,” said DM Manish Kumar Verma. Farmers also demanded a high-level meeting with the CEOs of all three development authorities—Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Expressway—to ensure the implementation of land acquisition policies and the 10% abadi plot allocation. “If the administration does not take immediate steps, we will be left with no choice but to intensify our protests,” said Pradhan.