MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday directed Tangedco and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to provide details on the audit and utilisation of Rs 2,431.51 crore collected under the Tatkal electricity connection scheme for farmers from 2021.
A bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel gave directions on a PIL filed by advocate C Selvakumar of Madurai, alleging a lack of transparency in the implementation of the above scheme. The case was adjourned to September 16.
Selvakumar stated that the state government has been implementing a free electricity scheme for farmers by providing a subsidy from public funds. Around Rs 7,280 crore was allocated in the financial year 2025-26, and the same was increased to Rs 7,431.58 crore for the year 2026-27, he added.
While eligible farmers have been waiting for several years to avail the above free electricity connection, the government introduced the tatkal scheme, which is a fast-track scheme that allowed farmers to pay a one-time fee to get an agricultural power connection.
This affected the small and marginal farmers who are waiting in queue for the free electricity connections, Selvakumar alleged. It also defeated the very object of the free electricity scheme by converting it into a paid one, he added.
Citing an RTI report obtained by him on June 5, he claimed that from the financial year 2021-22, 89,289 applications were received under the tatkal scheme and a total of Rs 2,431.51 crore has been collected from the applications. But only 44,993 connections have been provided, while the remaining applicants are awaiting connections despite paying the amount, he added.
Further raising doubts about the criteria and method followed to select beneficiaries and the utilisation of amount, he sought direction for a special audit to be conducted. He also wanted the vigilance authorities to independently inquire into the above issue.