Free power only to farmers using 3hp pumpsets!

The govt is getting ready to dilute yet another scheme, of giving free electricity to the farmers. It wants to reduce substantially the burden of giving subsidies. There are many who are of the opinion that the govt is taking these decisions to gradually give up the scheme all together.

It is confidentially known from reliable sources that the govt has decided to give free electricity only to those who are using only pump sets of 3hp. 

Supposedly, the govt has decided that normal electricity charges should be collected from all the farmers who are using pump sets of more than 3hp capacity .There are 32 lakhs of free electricity connections in the state. Among them about 80 percent use pump sets with more than 3hp capacity.  It means about 25 lakhs of people are going to be deprived of using this scheme. The officials are of the opinion that the Govt is thinking of reducing the burden of subsidies it is bearing at the moment.

At present there are no limitations imposed on free electricity connections. It is also a fact that in our state there are many areas where the ground water levels have come down drastically. It is impossible to bring the water up with the pump sets of only 3hp capacity. That is why a great number farmers use more powerful pump sets   . There are pump sets with a capacity of 10, 12 hp available now Therefore the Discums are worried that the demand for electricity will go up higher and higher. It was against this background the Govt decided to put limits to the capacity of the pump sets used by the farmers. If the farmers use motors with higher power than what is permitted they are going to be charged. But the information is they have not taken any decision on how much the charges should be. At present those who pay income tax and corporate farmers are being charged at the rate of 2 rupees per unit For the rest, our Late CM Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy introduced the free power scheme. But now by imposing limitations on this scheme it is feared that the Govt is planning to give up the scheme altogether The farmers will be asked to pay more for the power they will be using The Govt had already raised the electricity charges for those who pay income tax and corporate farmers. In the same way if the electricity supplied for Lift irrigation scheme crosses 7 hours time, extra charges will be collected .The adjustment charges from the agriculture fields should be borne by the Govt. But the Discums were given orders to collect them from domestic, industrial and commercial sectors.

A burden on all the sectors

The Govt is getting ready to raise electricity charges on all the sections after the end of Assembly sessions that is, after December 1st the proposals for the new rates will be submitted by the Discums to APERC. The burden will be from Rs 4000 to 4,500 crores on all the sections of people. All the common domestic users of power will have to pay 50 paise more per unit At present to produce one unit of electricity and supply it to users It costs Rs 4.42. But from the next year onwards there is a chance it will be Rs 5.50 – 5.60.  According to an official of power sector these extra costs will have to be collected from all sections of people and they will be paying more for electricity.

- Sakshipost