Farmers’ loadshedding protest enters third day

QUETTA:

In the midst of escalating tensions over unannounced load shedding, the farmers in Balochistan on Saturday took to the streets and blocked main Assembly Chowk on the third day of their protest.

The protest forced the Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti to meet the growers.

In a pivotal move, a delegation from the ZAC, under the leadership of Malik Naseer Shahwani, called on Balochistan’s Chief Minister. The meeting served as a platform to address the pressing issue of unscheduled load shedding that has badly impacted the agricultural sector.

Chief Minister Bugti assured the provincial government would contact federal Minister WAPDA and other federal authorities to address the grievances of the farmers, stressing the urgent need for adherence to the previously agreed upon eight-hour electricity supply.

The discussions underscored the necessity for a permanent solution to the subsidy problems exacerbating the electricity crisis in the province.

Acknowledging the dire circumstances faced by the farming community, Chief Minister Bugti pledged immediate financial assistance to restore electricity for thousands of families dependent on agriculture.

“The current provincial government has allocated Rs2 billion towards this endeavor, with an additional Rs2 billion on the horizon,” affirmed Chief Minister Bugti.

However, he cautioned that even allocating the entire development budget as subsidy might not suffice to resolve the power woes. Emphasizing the magnitude of the challenge, Chief Minister Bugti highlighted the staggering requirement of Rs75 billion for the solarization of 28,000 tube wells in the region.

In a bid to expedite relief measures, Chief Minister Bugti announced plans to negotiate with the federal government for assistance. A delegation of assembly members is slated to meet the Prime Minister to advocate for the growers’ cause.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2024.