GEB to unplug defaulter ryots

 The Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB), acting on an instruction from the state government, has initiated proceedings to cut the power connections of farmers who have not paid bills as per the rates fixed last month.

 The move to disconnect electricity to farmers could not have come at a worse time as the rabi season is in full swing now.

 Farmers have stopped paying electricity bills ever since the state government hiked the tariffs to the farming sector five months back by almost three times.

 Subsequently, in October, the government partially rolled back the electricity tariffs to the farm sector, but organisations protesting against the price hike have said farmers will not pay bills unless the original rates are restored.

 Reacting to the move by the state power utility to cut the electricity connections of farmers who have not begun paying bills, the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) on Tuesday said it will intensify the protests.

 The BKS has already rejected the partial rollback of the electricity tariff and has directed farmers to pay bills according to the tariff that existed before June 2003.

 Maganbhai Patel, state general secretary of the BKS, said,