Farmers protest outside DC office against Power Amendment Bill, seek compensation
Babushahi Bureau
Ferozepur (Punjab), December 18, 2025: Acting on a call given by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), farmers’ organisations launched protests outside the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner’s office against the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill, 2025, the Draft Seed Bill, and several other key issues affecting farmers and workers.
Addressing the gathering, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Punjab state president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra, BKU (Krantikari) state president Baldev Singh Zira, and BKU (Behramke) leader Chamkaur Singh Usmanwala demanded that the Union government immediately withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2025. They urged the Punjab government to pass a unanimous resolution in the Vidhan Sabha opposing the Bill and to stop the privatisation of the power sector.
The leaders also demanded an end to the contractual employment policy in the power department and called for the recruitment of permanent employees. They opposed the forced installation of prepaid (chip-based) electricity meters, insisting that existing domestic meters should continue.
The speakers further demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Draft Seed Bill, 2025, alleging that it was an attempt to hand over seed production to corporate houses.
Raising the issue of past agitations, they said the farmers’ protests at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, which continued for 14 months, were forcibly dismantled by the Bhagwant Mann government. They alleged that protest leaders were arrested deceitfully, protest sites were dismantled, and tractors, trolleys, and equipment were seized.
The farmer unions demanded compensation worth ₹3.77 crore for the loss of equipment purchased through the hard-earned money of farmers and workers. They also called for the immediate withdrawal of cases registered against farmers and leaders during Delhi Farmers’ Movement-I, Farmers’ Movement-II, and other protests in Punjab. Notices issued by the Railways to several farmer leaders should also be withdrawn, they added.
Additionally, the leaders demanded compensation and government jobs for the families of farmers who lost their lives during the agitations, and adequate compensation for those injured.
Several farmer leaders, including Inderjit Singh Bath, Gurpreet Singh Faridewala, Gurmel Singh Fatehwala, Dharam Singh Sidhu, Surjit Singh Fauji, Harphool Singh Dulewala, Sukhwinder Singh Alipur, Ranjit Singh Khachharwala, Gurbhag Singh Marur, Dilbagh Singh, Narinderpal Singh Jatala, Veer Singh Nizamdinwala, Mangal Singh Jawaharke, Gurnam Singh Alike, Gurbaksh Singh Panjgrain, Gulzar Singh Gogoani, and Sukhwant Singh Lohuka, also addressed the protest.