Farm department,TANGEDCO subsidy offer for solar pumpsets puzzles ryots

The Agricultural Engineering (AE) Department’s 80 per cent subsidy scheme, which is in vogue since 2013, has sanctioned 2,500 solar pumpsets under NADP (National Agricultural Development Programme). 

With 2,300 pumpsets having been installed till date, Officials said that the AE plans to install another 1,000 solar pumpsets in 2016-17 at an estimated cost of Rs 54.50 crore, which includes the NADP assistance of Rs 22.13 crore.

Though the AE scheme was initially for 5 HP motors, former chief minister Jayalalithaa included 10 HP motors through an announcement in the Assembly on August 31 last year. The inclusion was expected to benefit 500 farmers at a cost of Rs 21.90 crore The recent TANGEDCO’s scheme, which offers 10 per cent more subsidy than the AE has a rider as the subsidy is available only for 5HP motors and not for 7.5 or 10 HP.

However, the latter too can opt for solar power without subsidy.

Even farmer federation leaders are not aware of the TANGEDCO’s solar pumpset scheme. They talk only about the tatkal scheme of power connection for pumpsets.

Swamimalai S Vimalanathan, general secretary, Cauvery Protection Committee, said, “The TANGEDCO provides power for a tatkal scheme, where farmers have to deposit Rs 2.50 lakh, Rs 2.75 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for 5 HP, 7.5 HP and 10 HP power connections respectively.” Despite being a farmer leader, he was unaware of the TANGEDCO’s new scheme and the subsidy.

When asked about the situation, top agricultural officials said, “The TANGEDCO’s scheme is yet to be dovetailed with the AE scheme as both are similar. A Government Order has not been passed for the electricity major’s scheme, whereas the AE had issued a total amount of Rs 3.26 crore as subsidy for the scheme in 2016-17.” However, TANGEDCO chairman M Saikumar said, “The TANGEDCO scheme does not need a GO for implementation. The only difference is that we have not included the subsidy portion to the scheme already underway through the AE Department.”