Seeking parity in electricity tariffs for agricultural purposes, farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) protested against the Gujarat government in Gandhinagar on Friday.
“For the past two years, we have been lobbying the state government for a uniform rate for electricity used by farmers for agricultural purposes. There is a lot of difference between the tariffs charged to farmers who are charged according to the power of the motors they use and those who use electricity meters. The government has not been able to resolve it so far, despite forming a committee to look into the matter,” said RK Patel, General Secretary of BKS Gujarat Unit.
“We protested at taluka and district level and now we are here in Gandhinagar. We have been protesting since Thursday and we will continue until the government finds a solution to this issue,” Patel told The Indian Express.
According to Patel, a farmer with an old horsepower-based hookup pays less than those with a new meter hookup. “This issue is now driving a wedge between the brothers who have an old electrical connection – where the rate is based on horsepower – and a new electrical connection that is metered. We have asked the state government to charge all farmers according to the power of their engines. For those who have meters, the government on behalf of the farmers can pay the additional cost,” he added.
Since 2001, the government of Gujarat has been providing metered connections for agricultural purposes. The state currently has a power-based tariff of Rs 200 per horsepower per month, a metered tariff of 60 paise per unit and a Tatkal tariff of 80 paise per unit.
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Sagar Rabari, an agricultural leader associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Becharaji, North Gujarat, says the issue of different tariffs for agricultural connections is old and the BJP government has been unable to implement a uniform tariff over the past two years. decades. “Now that the National Assembly elections are near, BKS, which is a branch of the BJP, has raised the issue that his own government has not been able to solve, despite having been in power for 20 years. “, added Rabari.
The Gujarat government is already incurring a subsidy of over Rs 7,000 crore to provide low-cost electricity. A unit of electricity, according to the state government, costs between 7 and 8 rupees.
