TIRUCHY: In the wake of the state government's December 15 announcement on providing 10,000 additional free agricultural power connections under the tatkal scheme, the Tiruchy division of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) has been assigned an additional target of around 360 connections for financial year 2025-26 (FY26).
The new allocation comes even as the division has so far provided about 470 free agricultural connections against its original target of 925 for the current financial year. With the tatkal scheme operating on a first-come, first-served basis across the state, officials have directed all sub-divisions in Tiruchy to submit immediate readiness reports, so as not to lose out on the additional quota.
While priority would be given to one-time payment agricultural connections i.e. tatkal connections, efforts are under way to expedite free connections provided otherwise in the coming months. Within Tiruchy district, a higher number of such connections have been released in the Lalgudi, Musiri and Thuraiyur regions.
The pace of providing free agricultural connections, however, is not limited to Tiruchy alone as it has been slow across the state, officials added. As per a Right to Information (RTI) reply received in July 2025, Tangedco provided only 15,000 free agricultural power connections during financial year 2024-25 as against the state government's initial announcement of 50,000 connections.
Officials later cited financial constraints and said the target had been revised down to 15,000 connections for FY26. The allocation has now been increased across the state based on the performance of individual districts. It may be noted that the cost structure under the tatkal scheme varies based on pump-set capacity: up to 5 HP at Rs 2.5 lakh; 5 HP to 7.5 HP at Rs 2.75 lakh; 7.5 HP to 10 HP at Rs 3 lakh; and 10 HP to 15 HP at Rs 4 lakh.