Thousands of farmers and workers gather at Mandleshwar to oppose recent unprecedented electricity tariff hikes; Resolve to struggle for rights

Today on the 22nd of December, 2002, nearly 4000 farmers and workers took out a massive rally in Mandleshwar to demonstrate against the recent unprecedented electricity tariff hike. Speakers at this program that had been organized by the Nimad Malwa Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan said that the electricity tariff hikes are anti-people and called on the government to immediately withdraw the tariff hike. They warned the government that if this tariff hike is not withdrawn, then a struggle will be launched all over the state.

The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission had recently given its tariff order on the second tariff petition of the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board. Large numbers of people gathered at Mandleshwar to oppose this hike. Speakers at the public meeting after a rally was taken out in all main roads of the city, said that this tariff hike would pauperise the farmers of the state. Addressing the rally, Shri Radheshyam Patidar of Maheshwar area said that despite the recent announcement of the state government to give subsidy, the tariff hike for the farmers would still be about 300% over the existing tariffs. He said that over 90% of farmers in the state were paying at flat rates because it was not economically possible for them to even pay at Rs. 1.20 per unit. Farmers would not be able to withstand the current tariffs either for the flat rate and metered electricity categories.

Farmer leader from Dhar, Shri Mansharam Jat said that in the recent years, the costs of all on farm investment be it fertilizers, pesticides or seeds, has been continuously increasing. On the other hand, the costs of agricultural produce has been continuously decreasing or is at a stand still. This is the reason why farmers are becoming more and more indebted. Now after the recent electricity tariff hike the farmers of Madhya Pradesh will become totally indebted.

Shri Bhaitabhai of Dalit Jagrut Adivasi Sangathan said that after the last five years of drought it is a question of survival for the farmers of the state. This electricity tariff hike will be the last straw on the camel's back and large scale starvation deaths will ensue. This was also affirmed by farmer leader from Kasrawad Shri Dongre who said the double attack of power hike and drought was too much to withstand and demanded that the entire Nimad Malwa region must be declared as drought stricken.

Shri Vijay Panda, senior activist from Adivasi Mukti Sangathan explained the conspiracy being hatched by the World Trade Organisation and the foreign banks and financial institutions against the common people and the farmers of the country. He said that because of the situation created by these forces, hundreds of farmers are committing suicide in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Kerala and several other states.

Shri Anand Shintre from All India Students Federation, Indore said that the present tariff hike would affect not only the farmers but also the majority of the domestic consumers who would not be able to stand the 30% increase in power tariffs. He said that there would have to be united action to intensify the struggle.

Senior activist of the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Nimad Malwa Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan Shri Alok Agarwal said that there was no need or justification at all for the current tariff hike but it was done in order to fulfill the conditions of the Asia Development Bank loan. Criticizing the current tariff order given by the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission, he said that although the Commission itself has admitted that the MPSEB has failed to comply with the orders given in the last tariff order of the MPSERC, it has not prosecuted for non-compliance. He said that the claims of the Madhya Pradesh government that the electricity in the state is the cheapest in the country is far from the truth, and that despite the fact that the per capita income in Madhya Pradesh is among the lowest in the country, the current tariffs are more expensive than the electricity tariffs in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and many other states. He said that it was surprising that the MPSERC had asked for the next tariff petition for further tariff hike to be filed next month itself in January 2003.

He said that facts and arguments establish that the state and Central governments are participating in a conspiracy by developing countries and the multinational corporations against the common people of this country. The struggle against the power sector reforms is a struggle for our freedom and we have to be prepared to fight relentlessly in the coming days.

At the end of the rally, all the gathered people resolved to continue their struggle for their rights and to struggle against the injustice and exploitation of the farmers , workers and the common people of this state. The petition was sent to the Chief Minister through the SDM, Mandleshwar demanded that the recent tariff increase must be withdrawn, Nimad- Malwa must be declared as drought affected and the Government of Madhya Pradesh agreement with the Asia Development Bank must be cancelled. The petition also said that if the government failed to accede to these demands, all organizations in the state would join together to launch a state-wide struggle.