Lucknow: Amidst tall promises of opposition parties regarding free electricity in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has taken a lead by announcing relief to farmers. Ahead of UP assembly polls, almost all the parties have been making big promises regarding electricity to people.
Giving a major relief to farmers the Yogi government on Thursday announced to provide 50 per cent rebate in the electricity bills for them. The decision would cost Rs 1000 crore per year on the state exchequer. The state government would provide this amount as grant to the UP Power Corporation Limited. This rebate would be applicable on the electricity bills for private tube wells used by farmers for irrigation. As per orders issued by the UP government, the farmers would get 50 per cent rebate in the electricity tariff charged on the private tube well connections. This decision would benefit 13 lakh odd farmers having private tube well connections in the state. Earlier the Yogi government had announced to increase power supply in rural areas also.
According to officials of Power Corporation, the tariff would be revised after getting grant from the state government. As per the revised tariff, the consumer having metered connections in rural areas would pay Rs one per units instead of present rate of Rs two per unit. The fix charge on one horsepower connection would be reduced to Rs 35 from Rs 70 at present. The farmers paying Rs 1.65 per unit for the energy efficient water pump would pay 83 paise per units under the revised tariff. In the urban areas, the electricity rates of private tube wells would be reduced to Rs 3 per units from Rs 6 per units.
It may be mentioned that in the run for UP polls almost every party is making big promises regarding electricity. While the Samajwadi Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have promised to give 300 units of free electricity to consumers if voted to power, the Congress has pledged to give 400 units free power on the tunes of Chhattisgarh. Be its SP-AAP or Congress all have promised free unlimited electricity to farmers for irrigation purposes.
While the ruling BJP has been raising doubts over the tall promises made by the opposition regarding free electricity, it too has joined the same league by making major announcement for the farmers. It may be mentioned that owing to pandemic and coming assembly polls, the power tariff in UP has not been increased for the last two years.
