The Madhya Pradesh electricity board cut off power to about 20 villages in Satna district on Saturday, to allow Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s chopper to land safely in the area, reported NDTV. The connection was restored almost 12 hours later, at 3 am on Sunday after locals protested at the power supply office.

The government had released a notice in a local newspaper about the power cut. The notice said supply would be cut from 4 pm on May 19 to 6 pm on May 20 as two high-voltage power lines pass through the area where the home minister’s chopper was scheduled to land.

“There is no water, no power in 20 villages...don’t know what to do,” local residents told NDTV before supply was restored. “We have babies at home. Everyone is suffering here, We have tried speaking to people in the local power department office...they said they are helpless.”

Singh will be visiting the district, which is about 500 km from Bhopal, on Sunday. He is scheduled to unveil a statue of Thakur Ranmat Singh, who fought against the British during the 1857 mutiny.