Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced power supply to farmers during the daytime for the next crops.
The energy department has prepared a blueprint for supplying power to the farmers during the day.
Gujarat remains the only state in the country which supplies power to peasants during the day.
The government will require Rs 11,000 crore to supply power to farmers during the day to operate water pumps for irrigating their farmlands. The energy department prepares a proposal seeking funds from the central government for it.
The department will also put up the proposal before its finance committee on August 27. Afterwards, they will send it to the Ministry of Power.
The government has prepared a plan to supply power for four hours to farmers. But to do it during the daytime, the department needs to upgrade all transformers used for providing electricity to farmlands.
The present transformers can be used for household power supply. So, the power department has to increase the capacity of the transformers and the power lines in rural areas.
According to sources, the government will take more than a year to implement the plan after receiving funds from the centre.
Govt to get triple benefits by supplying power during day
The government will receive triple benefits by supplying power to farmers during the day.
First, it will give political mileage to the BJP, since the plan will reduce the farmers' resentment against the government.
Second, the proposal consists of a human angle, too, as the farmers have to irrigate their fields at night in any season, so the provision for power supply during the day will give them relief.
Third, the plan will be a boon to the government because solar power abundantly flows during the daytime. The rates against which the government receives solar power will save Rs 5,000 crore annually.
The energy department estimates that the government will round up the expenses within seven years. In a few years, it will earn profits from the project. The department estimates that the state will save Rs 148,000 crore in 20 years.
