The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Free power to farmers will continue: YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 14, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Free power to farmers will continue: YSR

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: On the eve of completing two years in office, Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, has promised farmers that his Government would continue to supply free power to farm sector.

In a press release on Saturday, he said that his Government was committed to the welfare of the farmers and free power supply was one way of boosting up the agrarian activity in upland areas. It would provide water to one crop at least and would thus ensure sustenance of families. He said the Government had undertaken the exercise two years ago after waiving power dues to the tune of Rs.1, 200 crores. He was happy that his Government could prove detractors wrong in this regard. The view of some experts that the farmers might misuse power supply also came to nothing.

No hike in domestic tariff

Dr. Reddy said the domestic power tariff was not increased in spite of rise in establishment costs and fuel prices. The State Government has promoted industrial growth by reducing industrial tariff by 4 per cent too, leading to a growth of 16.31 per cent HT-1 (Industrial) sales in 2006 compared to the previous year.

He said the Government was successful in providing free power facility for four seasons, including rabi of 2006. Its campaign on capacitors had resulted in 65 per cent farmers going in for the machines - 14,38,816 capacitors have been fixed so far and he hoped the rest would follow suit.

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