Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday made it clear that there was no question of asking the farmers to pay the electricity bills from their pockets and the power supply to their crops would continue to remain free.
The state cabinet which met under the leadership of Jagan in the secretariat approved the revised scheme of free agriculture power supply-direct cash transfer to beneficiaries.
The scheme would be implemented on a pilot basis in Srikakulam district shortly and would be extended to the entire state from April 1, 2021, the chief minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagan said the free power supply to agriculture would continue by all means and not a single existing connection would be removed. Instead, unauthorised connections would be regularised.
He said all the farmers having agriculture power connections would be provided with special bank accounts in which the government would deposit the amount of power bill and the farmers, in turn, would pay the bills to the Discoms.
The government and Discoms would bear the cost of erecting electricity meters to be installed for each electricity consumer.
“There is not a single paisa burden on the farmer. We are only improving the system so that there is an accountability to Discoms and also farmers,” Jagan said.
