The Hindu Business Line : AP Govt to provide 1.5 lakh agri-power connections

THE State Chief Minister, Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Sunday approved sanction for 1.5 lakh agricultural power connections, 50,000 of them under the free category and one lakh under the Tatkal scheme for 2005-06.

This initiative forms part of the State Government's action plan to provide additional irrigation facilities for 5 to 6 lakh acres under well and bore-well irrigation to boost the agriculture sector.

Following this decision by the Chief Minister, 50,000 new connections will be given in dry land areas under the free power category, while the 1,00,000 connections under Tatkal scheme will be in the paid category.

This sanction, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's office, covers all distribution companies as well as all rural energy supply companies, besides the 15 per cent quota for scheduled castes and 6 per cent for scheduled tribes.

According the Chief Minister, this initiative will supplement the efforts that have already been made by the Government to convert the landless poor into land-owning cultivators. Over 1.5 lakh acres of land had been distributed in a single day on January 26.

The Government is now contemplating distributing one lakh acres more to the poor by the end of July. Thus, the sanction of new power connections will also help the beneficiaries irrigate the land distributed to them.

Separate district-wise targets for the sanction of new connections have been worked out on the basis of total agricultural services existing in each district. Andhra Pradesh ranks first in terms of agricultural pump sets with a record number of 23.78 lakh, surpassing Maharashtra (around 22 lakh). By providing 1.5 lakh additional pump sets by the end of the financial year, the State will have over 25 lakh pump sets, accounting for 43.63 per cent of the pump sets in South India.

The State Government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to revive the agriculture sector through Jalayagnam. This envisages the setting up of 32 major and minor irrigation projects and the provision of free power to 95 per cent of the farmers to facilitate irrigation through pump sets. The State Government had earlier waived the electricity arrears of around Rs 1,254 crore to give financial relief to farmers.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Civil Supplies may procure paddy directly from Kerala farmers

Trawl ban: A Kerala example

AP Govt to provide 1.5 lakh agri-power connections

High volumes, poor quality pull down Coonoor tea prices

Mixed trend in Kochi tea sale

Cotton may bounce before falling

Higher carry-over stock to put price pressure on cotton market

Vegoil production likely to scale new peak

Pepper market remains steady

Agrometeorology workshop project in Hyderabad