CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the Tangedco not to reject the agriculture power connection application from farmers who own less than 0.5 acres of land if they registered before August 5, 2020.

The commission said that they were in receipt of several representations that applications for free power supply made years ago were rejected by Tangedco’s field officers citing the amendment made in August 2020 that the applicant should own a land at least 0.5 acre in size to be eligible for free electricity supply for their well or borewell.

TNERC in a statement said that the amendment came into effect only from August 5, 2020, and will be applicable for applications submitted thereafter and not retrospectively.

“The criteria of minimum 0.5 acre is not applicable for all the agricultural service connection applications registered prior to the date of August 5, 2020. Therefore the applications registered earlier shall be processed in a routine manner irrespective of the extent of land,” it said.

It may be noted that in the latest amendment to the distribution code, TNERC has also removed the clause that mandated the presence of a well or borewell to apply for free power citing the delay stretching over years to get the electricity connection.