Power bonanza for farmers

The State Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a power subsidy package of Rs 510 crore to farmers and below poverty line domestic consumers.

The State Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a power subsidy package of Rs 510 crore to farmers and below poverty line domestic consumers.

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It also approved direct recruitment of 38 deputy collectors through the MP Public Service Commision and for 23 posts in Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

The power subsidies include Rs 482.86 crore to farmers, Rs 23.93 crore to domestic BPL consumers who consume electricity up to 30 units per month and Rs 1 crore to civic bodies on street lights.

The subsidies to farmers include Rs 259.38 crore to those paying bills on flat rates, Rs 135.97 crore to metered connections, Rs 83.79 crore to temporary connections and Rs 3.72 crore to those who have HT power connections for irrigation.

Farmers will be given power for agriculture at the rate of Rs 1.70 per unit. Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission had fixed it at Rs 2.65 per unit. Later, it was reduced to Rs 2.50 per unit. Thus farmers will be given power with subsidy of Rs 0.80 per unit. Against temporary connections, power will be given to farmers at Rs 2.20 per unit while for consumption up to 300 units per month the charges will be Rs 1.20 per unit for metered and non-metered connections.

For domestic BPL consumers using electricity up to 30 units a month,  the tariff will be Rs 1.75 per unit in place of Rs 2.65, announced on April 1, 2004.

Powerloom consumers having machines up to 25 HP will pay Rs 2 per unit. Power will be supplied to gram panchayats for LT street lights scheme at Rs 45 per month per KW in place of Rs 120 per month per KW. Nagar panchayats will pay Rs 85 per month per KW.

Consumers with HT connection for irrigation will be exempted from annual minimum charges. The 23 posts in Panchayat and Rural Development Department to be filled in include nine assistant engineers, three chief executive officers and 11 block development officers.

Te cabinet increased the state government’s contingency fund from Rs 40 crore to Rs 100 crore. To promote the powerloom weavers,  the cabinet reduced the entry tax from two per cent to one per cent on yarns produced in
the state.      

The Cabinet meet, chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, lasted for about two hours from 4.30 pm at Vallabh Bhavan.

Cabinet decides
1  Central drug purchase policy on the pattern of Tamil Nadu

2  Direct recruitment to 38 posts of deputy collectors

3  Amendments in VAT on several items