Nearly 1.2 million farmers benefit from power subsidy in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan government’s move to provide subsidised electricity to farmers under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Mitra Urja Yojana has started benefiting the agricultural community.

Under the scheme, electricity bills of about 750,000 farmers have become zero, said a senior official of the state energy department. Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati said this scheme was meant to increase the incomes of farmers and free them from the worry of electricity expenses.

The state government on July 17 last year launched the scheme.

Bhati said agricultural consumers who had rural meters in the general category benefited. He said consumers were given a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per month on their agriculture electricity bills, going up to Rs 12,000 a year.

“In any month, if the electricity bill month is less than Rs 1,000, the balance is adjusted in the coming months in the same financial year, so that farmers get the full benefit of this concession. The agriculture bill of marginal and medium farmers has become almost nil,” the minister said.

Principal Secretary (Energy) Bhaskar A Sawant said from the launch of the scheme till August this year, around 1.275 million agricultural consumers had been provided an additional subsidy of approximately Rs 1,324.47 crore.

Kailash Chand Meena, a farmer from Dausa district, said: “Before the Mukhyamantri Kisan Mitra Urja Yojana, I used to pay Rs 10,000-12,000 a year for electricity. After Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched this scheme, my electricity bill has become zero.”

“Now I can use the money for other agriculture-related activities,” Meena said.