Nashik: The appeal of the State Energy Minister Dr. Nitin Raut for the New Agricultural Power Policy 2020 is getting a good response. In the last one year, 17 lakh 40 thousand agricultural pump outstanding customers have paid electricity bills of Rs 2100 crore. Out of the amount collected, Rs 1400 crore is being used for creation of electricity infrastructure in village Khedo along with agricultural pump customers. The arrears of agricultural electricity bills at the end of March 2014 stood at Rs 14,154 crore. During the previous government it was Rs 40,195 crore.
At the end of October 2020, a total of 44 lakh 50 thousand customers had an outstanding amount of 45 thousand 804 crores. Application for new agriculture pump electricity connection is pending since 2018 due to outstanding agricultural pump electricity bill, but now along with increasing the recovery of electricity bills from farmers, funds are being made available for creation of infrastructure for connection of agricultural pumps. Due to which the farmers have got a big relief.
March 2022 is the last date for 50% discount
With the farmers as the focal point, Energy Minister Dr. Raut took the initiative and formulated a new agricultural energy policy and a new unconventional energy policy. In the new agricultural electricity policy, priority has been given to providing electricity connections to the farmers. Therefore, the total revised arrears under the Agricultural Electricity Policy is Rs 30,707 crore and the current bill balance is Rs 7,489 crore. As per the policy, if customers pay 50% of the revised dues by March 2022, the remaining 50% will be waived off. There is a discount of 30% on revised dues between April 2023 and March 2024 and 20% on revised dues if paid between April 2024 and March 2025. Till now farmers have paid Rs 2100 crore in response to the new agriculture power policy. Out of this, Rs 1400 crore is being used as a contingency fund for creation of electricity infrastructure in rural areas.
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Late fee waived on arrears after 2015
The Contingency Fund will be specifically used for the construction of power lines and roads in rural areas as well as capacity building of the installed roads. Maintenance and repair work has also been started at a fast pace. The permission of Mahavitaran Headquarters would not be required while utilizing this fund, but technical and financial permission of Headquarters would be required for setting up of a new sub-station. Under this scheme, the late fee is completely waived on the arrears after 2015, while the late fee and interest is being waived 100% on the arrears before 2015.
Power supply will be from solar energy
Only the principal arrears are considered for recovery. The final dues are being decided accordingly. Farmers have been given the option of electricity connection through low pressure line, high pressure line and solar agriculture pump. Considering the importance of new and renewable energy sources, the Non-conventional Energy Policy aims to generate 17,360 MW of electricity from various non-conventional energy sources in the next 5 years. With this, electricity will be supplied to the farmers through solar energy during the day.