Farmers get 1 lakh free power connections worth Rs 3,025 crore in TN
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday launched a scheme to provide one lakh free power connections for agricultural purposes at an expenditure of Rs 3,025 crore this financial year. At an event here, 10 farmers received the orders for power connections from the Chief Minister.
Hailing the speedy work of his Cabinet in fulfilling the promises made to the people, Stalin said Minister for Electricity Senthil V Balaji overtook others and fixed a date to launch this scheme. Under the DMK regime from 2006 to 2011, as many as 2.09 lakh power connections were given to farmers.
“During the AIADMK rule in the past 10 years, only 2.10 lakh power connections were given to farmers. But in just four months, we are going to give one lakh power connections to farmers. Nowhere in the country can one find such a speedy government,” the CM said.
Stating that the successive DMK governments had been pro-farmers, Stalin said that very recently, the State Assembly passed a resolution handing out a warning to the Union government with regard to the three farmer-related legislations. He also recalled the role of former CM M Karunanidhi in resolving the Cauvery water dispute. During the previous DMK regime, farmers’ loans worth Rs 7,000 crore were waived. Also, 1.89 lakh acres of land were given to 1.50 lakh landless farmers free of cost. Above all, Karunanidhi gave free power supply to farmers, Stalin asserted.
Stating that the previous AIADMK regime ruined the TNEB and left it with a debt burden of Rs 1.59 lakh crore, he said that every year, the State government pays Rs 16,000 crore interest for this loan. The AIADMK regime also bought power at a high price and entered into long-term power-purchase agreements instead of short-term ones, Stalin said, adding that there were irregularities in maintaining stock of coal.
In the past 10 years, the installed capacity of TNEB has increased by 1,481 MW. Of this, 1,428 MW of power projects were planned during the DMK regime. So, the AIADMK government increased the installed capacity by just 53 MW in the past 10 years. “The efforts to rescue the TNEB have begun. We have planned to implement power projects to yield 17,980 MW in the next 10 years. We will give priority to solar power generation,” he added.