Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Monday urged the Centre to withdraw the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Act 2020. He said it would affect the farmers in the State.
In a statement, he contended that the amendment targeted the free power supplied to the farmers. “Farmers got free power after many years of protest. In the past four years, they have been pushed to get new power connections under tatkal scheme,” Mr. Haasan said.
He alleged that the Centre was trying to impose the new Act on the farmers, who were already struggling from issues like increase in prices of farm inputs, water scarcity, unstable procurement prices, among others.
“When the world is pushing towards green agriculture, farmers in Tamil Nadu are fighting against issues like Salem Corridor project, Hydrocarbon project, loan burden, the Electricity (Amendment). Whose mistake is it for creating such a situation,” Mr. Haasan asked.
If the government was not able to function profitably, it should mull ways to rectify it and not stop assistance granted to farmers.
“Don’t make farmers a scapegoat in your revenue augmentation efforts,” Mr. Haasan said and assured the farmers of his party’s support on the issue.
