Smart meters to ensure quality power to farmers: Minister

Vijayawada/Visakhapatnam: The power utilities are making all-out efforts for successful implementation of installing electricity meters for all the agricultural connections under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to help supply quality power to agriculture services in all districts, Energy Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said on Sunday.

During a telecon with the senior officials of DISCOMs, the Minister allayed fears over installation of meters to agriculture pumpsets and said the DBT scheme is aimed at giving a right to the farmers for the next 25 years to insist power utilities to supply high quality power. The State Government has promised a 9-hour daytime free power scheme to the farm sector.

The energy demand for agriculture in 2018-19 was 10,832 MU that has increased to 12,720 MU in 2021-22 by 17.42 per cent. The agricultural demand is projected to increase to 13,194 MU during FY22-23.

The government implemented installation of smart meters to agriculture pumpsets in Srikakulam district as a pilot project. In all, 101.51 MU of electricity was consumed for 26,083 connections in Srikakulam district during FY2020–21. The connections went up to 28,393 in FY 2021-22, but the consumption was limited to 67.76 MU thereby saving 33.75 MU due to DBT scheme and other measures.

The utilities are also planning to create awareness among the farmers through Rythu Bharosa Kendras and other platforms about fitting meters to agricultural connections under DBT scheme and clarify their doubts if any about the scheme, an official of APEPDCL said.

According to officials, DBT that empowers farmers has turned out to be a resounding success in all districts in the State. The power utilities received consent for 15.99 lakh agricultural connections against the target of 16.34 lakh connections across the State showing willingness for the DBT scheme. The officials said the farmers signed agreements for installation of meters for availing the benefits of the scheme.

During the teleconference, the officials explained that the objective of installing meters as part of implementing a free power scheme for agriculture is to know the efficiency of power lines and transformers and improve them as and when required and ultimately provide highly qualitative power to agriculture.

The Minister said already some States have implemented installing meters for agricultural connections which helped the utilities in providing quality power. Despite the fact that the Government of Andhra Pradesh has decided to implement the unique DBT scheme initiated by the Government of India, the farmers need not pay anything from their earnings, he stated.

He said the State Government is strongly committed to provide free power to agriculture for next 25

years for which the government and power utilities have entered into an agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to get 7,000 MW power to the agricultural sector.

Reddy said "ours is the only government that has given guarantee for reliable power supply to farmers for next 25 years. Even in crisis periods like coal shortage and other national and international factors in future, we will continue to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the farm sector for 25 years as per the commitment of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy."

Secretary Energy B Sreedhar, Joint Managing Director, HRD & Admin, APTransco I Prudhvi Tej, CMDs of DISCOMs H Haranatha Rao, J Padma Janardhana Reddy and K Santosha Rao, Director Grid AVK Bhaskar and other senior officers of power utilities participated in the review meeting.