Tangedco set to provide 50,000 new agri service connections

Chennai

The decision to provide more number of agricultural power connection under free supply of electricity to farmers comes at a time when the Centre wanted to amend the electricity act to change mode of payment of subsidy wherein the consumers would pay the full bill amount and get the subsidy in their bank accounts. Unlike power supply connections provided to the domestic, commercial and industries consumers, the agricultural service connections are effected every year based on the target set by the government as it is a fully subsidised scheme.

Farmers who have registered under the normal category are waiting for over two decades to get the power connection. According to Tangedco sources, there are over four lakh farmers waitlisted for the power connection in the State.

This year, the utility would provide 25,000 power connections to the farmers who had paid a one-time payment of Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh under the self-financing scheme while about 22,000 farmers who had registered under the normal category till March 2003 would get the connection.

Tamil Nadu Farmers Association general secretary P Shanmugham questioned the Tangedco’s decision to provide 25,000 agricultural connection under the self-financing scheme when only about 22,000 farmers availed connection in the scheme in the last two years. “The State government has set a high target keeping an eye on the next year’s election. It will be difficult to provide a connection to 50,000 farmers considering the Covid-19 lockdown,” he said, demanding the government provide diesel subsidy to farmers who have registered for power supply and waiting for over 15 years.

“With day-to-day increase in the diesel prices, the farmers who are using the oil motor pumps for irrigation were spending twice the normal amount for the fuel. It will only lead to a loss for them,” he said.