The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : YSR defends agriculture power tariff

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 29, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

YSR defends agriculture power tariff

Staff Reporter

`Farmers paying income tax only being covered'

RAJAHMUNDRY: The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, has defended the power tariff to the agriculture sector and reiterated his commitment to extend free power to eligible farmers.

Addressing a gathering of farmers after inaugurating the two-day Rythu Sadassu at the Arts College grounds here on Saturday, Dr. Reddy said the new power tariff was only for those farmers who were paying income-tax and were financially sound. When the Chief Minister asked farmers as to how many of them were getting inflated power bills, only two to three farmers raised their hands.

TDP, BJP flayed

The Chief Minister lashed out at the TDP and the BJP for criticising the free power policy. "After coming to power, I signed the first file on free power. The criticism that we have deviated from the free power promise is unfounded as 23.40 lakh farmers in the State are covered under the scheme. We are only taxing (5.5 per cent) those coming under I-T purview," the Chief Minister said.

He said the people of the State taught a fitting lesson to the TDP Government for "cheating" them by failing to implement Rs. 2-a-kg rice scheme and total prohibition.

The Chief Minister spoke about cultivation practices and suggested farmers to take up `Sri Vari Cultivation' -- a new method adopted by some farmers in the Godavari districts -- and use the latest technology for which the Government was giving subsidies. He asked farmers to fix capacitors to their motors and thereby save 25 per cent power.

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