The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Free power supply will continue, says YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 11, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Free power supply will continue, says YSR

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 10. The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has said the Government will continue free power supply to agriculture pumpsets "till the farming by farmers becomes viable."

Speaking at a national workshop on free power here on Wednesday organised by Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) at Dr MCR HRD Institute, Dr. Reddy reiterated his commitment to the benefit. The Chief Minister announced he would have a `mid-course' review shortly on the free power and launch `corrective steps' based on the suggestions.

Asked later by reporters if this meant withdrawal of the benefit for big farmers, he said: "I can't say anything off hand." The reply was same on the continuance of reduced rate of tariff allowed to Ferro Alloy units, an issue highlighted by T.L. Shankar, former chairman, APSEB, at the meeting earlier.

While dealing with the 3.5 lakh illegal agriculture connections which cropped up after introduction of free power with farmers taking advantage of the situation "with connivance of officials", Dr. Reddy spoke of `harsh decisions' implying removal after the harvesting season. Misuse could not be allowed.

Justifies decision

Turning to the gathering, which included chairmen of electricity boards of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and energy officials from Karnataka, West Bengal and Jharkhand, Dr. Reddy justified free power supply in the State because of the need to make agriculture viable. He said, 62.3 per cent of the workforce in the State depended on agriculture but income going to them was not even 24 per cent. Agriculture production and productivity came down because of the "long neglect" of both farm and irrigation sectors forcing farmers to depend on groundwater. The water table, in turn, sank making even pumpsets a costly affair. Farming became non-fetching, especially in Telangana, Rayalaseema and upland areas elsewhere where a farmer was required to spend Rs. 1,500 per acre annually as against Rs. 200 as water cess collected from his delta counterpart who enjoyed surface water irrigation. The delta farmers were enjoyed subsidy of Rs. 4,366 crores yearly, he declared.

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