CM Gives Big Relief to Farmers

Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje has given big relief including reduced tariff for agriculture connections to farmers. As per the decision farmers of the state would continue to get electricity on earlier rates of 90 paise per unit and the flat rate would also be Rs. 85 per HP instead of Rs. 120. The state government would bear the increased burden of new power tarrif as per directions of the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission(RERC).

The Minister of State for Energy Shri Pushpendra Singh Ranawat shared details of the decisions taken by the CM in favour of the farmers in a press brief on Saturday. He said that increased burden of new tarrifs ordered by the RERC would now be shared by the government. In September 2016, the Commission had increased agriculture tariffs by 25 paise per unit.

Shri Ranawat said that now farmers having agriculture connections of general category would get power at the rate of 90 paise per unit instead of Rs 1.15 per unit. On the flat rate connection charges would be Rs. 85 per HP instead of Rs. 120. As per this decision, he said, the increased charges collected from the farmers in the past would be adjusted in the coming bills.

The Minister said that the previous government took the decision of hiking agriculture power tariff every year.

“Despite this, our government did not increase the power rates for past two years and bear the burden of increased tariffs,” he said.

Shri Ranawat further stated that the limits of region for transfer of agriculture connections was increased from Panchayat Samiti to entire district. He said that the maximum time limit for civil liability for consumers had been decreased from four to two months and the agreed amount was fixed from Rs. 2000 to Rs. 1000 per HP.

The Minister said that there would be no load checking if the meter of a consumer was found to be properly functional. He informed that district level committees had been constituted for monitoring of grievances in this regard. Complaints received against the VCR inspections within 60 days would be disposed off in next 15 days, he added.

Shri Ranawat told that the complaints against increasing load without application or inspection would also be considered and disposed harmoniously. He said that those farmers who did not deposit money against the demand notes issued after December 2014 would be given one more change to deposit.

The Minister said that the agriculture power connections in the drip irrigation, sprinkler system and diggi irrigation would be converted to general category connections in 3 years. About 45,000 farmers would be benefitted by this decision, he said. He further added that electricity camps would be convened at Panchayat and Sub Division level across the state for redressal of the consumers’ complaints in this regard.

During the press conference, Chairman of Discoms Shri Shrimat Pandey, Principal Secretary Energy Shri Sanjay Malhotra and Advsior to Discoms Shri RG Gupta were present.

Jaipur, 18 February 2017