COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has provided 15,000 free electricity connections for agricultural purposes during the 2024-25 financial year, states an RTI reply. This figure is well short of the government's promise of 50,000 free connections.
P Venkadachalamurthy, an executive committee member of the farmers' association, was provided with the reply by TNPGCL under the RTI Act. He alleged that the government's announcement on providing free electricity connections to farmers was not fully executed.
"During the budget announcement, the state government had announced 50,000 free electricity connections to farmers for 2024-25. However, the RTI reply states a large difference between the government's announcement and TNPGCL's implementation," said Venkadachalamurthy.
"As per the estimation, over 1.75 lakh farmers have been waiting for free electricity connections for years. But, the government is taking time to provide new connections. TNPGCL did not follow the government's order properly," he added.
K Anandakumar, a farmer from Kumittipathi in Coimbatore, said, "I have been waiting to get a free electricity connection since 2019. I have 10 acres. Due to the delay in getting the connection, I am forced to buy water from tanker lorry services during the monsoon. Also, I could not cultivate crops in my entire land due to the delay in getting the free electricity connection."
When contacted, a senior official of TNPGCL said, "As per the government's decision, the allocation has been made and rolled out in different categories in normal and 'tatkal' formats. We cannot unilaterally provide free electricity connections as it comes under the government's policy decision."
The number of free electricity connections provided region wise during 2024-25
REGION | Connections
Chennai | 53
Coimbatore | 1,738
Erode | 2,757
Kanchipuram | 295
Karur | 988
Madurai | 871
Thanjavur | 586
Tirunelveli | 716
Tiruvannamalai | 1,726
Trichy | 1,721
Vellore | 2,843
Villupuram | 706