Greater Noida: Farmers protest at NPCL office; discom junks allegations

GREATER NOIDA: Hundreds of farmers representing the Kisan Sabha, and the Kisan Ekta Sangh on Tuesday converged on the Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) office in Tugalpur, Gautam Budh Nagar, protesting alleged ill-treatment of a farmer’s family in Khedi Bhanauta village by discom officials.

The protest was triggered by an incident involving Santaraj, a villager, and his family of Khedi Bhanauta in January in which some NPCL officials allegedly misbehaved with them.

The NPCL, however, dismissed the allegation, saying that the issue actually stems from illegal power usage and resistance to proper meter installation by villagers/farmers.

On Tuesday, protestors, including a large number of people from Khedi Bhanauta, raised slogans and staged a sit-in outside the NPCL’s office, also demanding action on multiple grievances.

During the agitation, Kisan Sabha district president Rupesh Verma said, “Since no agreement was reached on their major demands, all farmers should prepare for a bigger protest on February 13.”

Kisan Ekta Sangh’s national president Soran Pradhan accused the NPCL of being “unreliable”, and urged farmers to gear up for an indefinite movement. “There is no alternative to protest. Prepare for a day-and-night sit-in,” he said.

“We will set up a permanent protest site. Everyone must come prepared for a continuous demonstration,” said Kisan Sabha convener Veer Singh Nagar.

Farmers’ representatives said that their 21-member delegation was invited by the NPCL officials for talks on Tuesday. During the discussions, the officials shared that an inquiry into the Khedi Bhanauta incident was underway and, if anyone was found guilty, an action would be taken by February 12.

Notably, there have been ongoing tensions between NPCL and residents of various villages, including Khedi Bhanauta, concerning electricity-related issues.

They said, however, no consensus could be arrived at on their key demands, including continuation of fixed electricity connections, resolution of billing disputes, and the withdrawal of cases related to alleged electricity theft. Now, another round of talks is slated for February 13.

However, the NPCL said several individuals in these areas have been reluctant to install electricity meters and engaging in illegal power hooking.

“NPCL is committed to ensuring fair and legal electricity distribution, and we will continue taking action against power theft as per the law,” said NPCL spokesperson Manoj Jha.

As per the information from the NPCL, there are around 175,000 power consumers of which 700 households are still unmetered. The discom has been actively conducting anti-power theft drives in regions such as Aimnabad, Bhanauta, Bisrakh, and Ghodi Bachheda, among other places.

“As per the directives of the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission, achieving 100% metering is essential for an efficient power distribution network and the financial stability of discoms. The metering of all consumers must be completed by March 31, 2025. We are actively working towards this goal. However, resistance from farmers and villagers is hindering the process,” Jha added.