Farmers Movement Archive

Tamil Nadu chief minister Stalin gives 100k power connection certificates to farmers

Chennai Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin launched a scheme on Thursday to provide 100,000 power connections to farmers, hitting out at the previous AIADMK regime for “ruining” the state-run electricity corporation.Rolling out the ₹3,025-crore scheme, Stalin distributed orders for providing electricity connections for pumpsets to 10 farmers at a function held at the Anna Centenary Library Auditorium here.The ‘one lakh connection scheme’ would be useful for generations after generations, he said. “Since farmers will be benefited, they will be producing food not only for them but for the people of the whole state.”The scheme was recently announced in the state assembly during the demand for grants (2021-22) for the energy department.Citing statistics, Stalin said that during the AIADMK rule in the past 10 years, approximately 200,000 power connections were provided. “Whereas, in about four months after assuming office in May, my government is now providing 100,000 connections. This is the difference between the governments led by the AIADMK and DMK,” he said. “There is no such government elsewhere in India that is so quick.”The governments led by his party, the DMK, had always been a regime of farmers, he said and cited a resolution recently adopted in the Tamil Nadu assembly against the three farm laws of the Centre. “Farmers will for sure not forget this.”Listing initiatives taken up during the tenure of former chief minister M Karunanidhi like those related to the Cauvery issue, waiver of ₹7,000 crore farm loans (cooperative banks), providing land to landless farm labourers and free electricity to farmers, Stalin said the launch of the ‘one lakh electricity connections scheme’ for farmers is the new addition.No one need to think that the government-run electricity entity is flourishing as 100,000 connections were being provided and a majority of them at free of cost, he said, alleging that the electricity corporation was ruined during the previous AIADMK regime.The state-owned Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) is the holding company and it has two subsidiaries, the TN Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation. “This is the achievement of the AIADMK government (2011-21). The electricity board has ₹1.59 lakh crore debt and it has to pay ₹16,000 crore a year as interest.”The AIADMK government purchased power at a very high cost and discrepancies in actual, on hand coal stock and the quantity recorded in registers in thermal power stations reflected irregularities, the chief minister alleged.A mere “53 Megawatt was the installed capacity” during the previous AIADMK regime as its schemes for 1,481 MW installed capacity during its period comprised projects for 1,428 MW planned during the DMK regime (2006-11), he said.Stalin said his government has taken all steps to turn around the state-run electricity entities and listed initiatives like new power generation projects and expeditious maintenance work. Project work has commenced to generate 17,980 MW during the next 10 years and projects -- already in planning stage -- were being expedited.For the first time in the state, a Solar Power Park would be set up in Tiruvarur, and recently, TANGEDCO has inked a pact with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency for developing renewable energy projects and for raising the requisite funding of ₹132,500 crore, he said.The one-lakh power connection scheme for farmers, that has been launched now, has sole aim of increasing farm production, he said, adding, “let this be the foundation for Tamil Nadu’s agriculture revolution and let this (scheme) help increase area of cultivation.” He urged the beneficiaries to use power only for necessity as electricity generation is highly expensive.

Hindustan Times

24-09-2021

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