BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has decided to give a Rs. 510-crore subsidy to keep the farmers and weaker sections of society free from the burden of increased power tariffs. A major part of the subsidy, totalling Rs. 485 crores, would be earmarked for the farm sector.

This decision was taken at a State Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan here. The Cabinet also decided that power be supplied to the farm sector at the rate of Rs. 1.70 per unit.

Earlier, the Electricity Regulatory Commission had fixed the tariff at Rs. 2.65 and later reduced it to Rs. 2.50 per unit. Hence the State Government would now be giving a subsidy of 80 paise per unit to the farmers.

For temporary connections, power would be supplied at the rate of Rs. 2.20 per unit. For consumption up to the first 300 units the metered and non-metered consumers would be supplied electricity at the rate of Rs. 1.20 per unit.

The Cabinet further decided that domestic users consuming up to 30 units be supplied electricity at Rs. 1.75 per unit in place of the revised rate of Rs. 2.65 per unit, which has become effective from April 1. Similarly, power-loom consumers having 25 horsepower connections would be supplied electricity at the rate of Rs. 2 per unit in place of Rs. 3.30 per unit.

For low-tension street light schemes meant for village panchayats, electricity would be supplied at the rate of Rs. 45 per KW per month in place of Rs. 120 per month. Similarly, for low-tension street light schemes meant for nagar panchayats, electricity would be provided at Rs. 85 per KW per month in place of Rs. 120 per month.

The Cabinet has also decided to exempt the low-tension irrigation consumers from payment of annual minimum charges.

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