Waive off farmers’ power arrears: Opposition

Mumbai: After the farm loan waiver scheme, demand for waiver of electricity bill arrears for agro-pumps and free power for farmers is gathering momentum.

With farmers’ power bill arrears having reached more than Rs 21,000 crore and 36 lakh out of the 40 lakh farmers having such arrears, opposition parties are planning to corner the government on this issue among others. While the Mahavitaran company undertook a disconnection drive after Diwali, the same was stayed in five days by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Krishi Sanjeevani Scheme was declared.

The Mahavitaran company is now demanding only the principal amount and up to five installments are allowed for a one-year period. Still, there has been no response and only Rs 299 crore has been deposited by farmers against current bill arrears. Sources told The Asian Age that the government has asked the Mahavitaran company to go slow on the recovery front.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president Sunil Tatkare said, “The government should declare a power bill waiver and supply free power considering the economic condition of farmers.”

Former Maharashtra chief minister  Prithviraj Chavan told this newspaper, “The government should stop disconnecting electricity of farmers and declare a waiver considering they have suffered drought for many years. We will follow up
this issue in the winter session.”

However, state power consumers organisation president Pratap Hogade said, “The government should declare a waiver and clear power bills like 7/12 extract in a loan waiver. The Mahavitaran company has shown use of electricity by farmers as
double the actual. So, due to inflated bills, they have got more subsidy from the government, which is 2/3. Hence, there is no need for recovery of inflated arrears. More than 1.5 lakh farmers have filed complaints against the bills and we have planned an awareness campaign for the next three months.”