TIRUCHY: The farmers appealed to the state government to enhance farm power connections for this year, as samba cultivation is heavily reliant on groundwater pump sets. They urged the government to release electricity connections to 2.86 lakh farmers who applied through ordinary registration, and as many as 44,296 farmers who have been waiting for more than two decades after applying through the Tatkal scheme.

Noting that Mettur water release for 45 days would be insufficient to realise samba cultivation across the Delta region, the farmers said they are left at the mercy of groundwater to go ahead with the cultivation.

Groundwater usage requires an uninterrupted power supply and new power connections, they said and urged the release of long-pending connections.

“The state government had announced only 50,000 new connections during the annual budget 202627. There are more than 2.86 lakh farmers awaiting in addition to 44,296 farmers who applied through the Tatkal scheme. The government should clarify who would be given priority in the allotment of 50,000 new connections,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

Alleging that the government provided new connections only to farmers with political influence or money power in past years, he urged the state government to increase the allotment from 50,000 connections to at least one lakh.

He appealed to the government to provide 10,000 connections reserved for farmers through the social justice scheme, including SC/ST farmers, widows, ex-servicemen, differently abled and legal heirs of freedom fighters and ensure power supply within 15 days of application.

Vimalnathan pointed out that states like Telangana, Andhra, Karnataka and Odisha distribute power connections to farmers within 30 days of application,” he added.