TIRUCHY: It’s been more than six months into this financial year, but only 342 farmers in Tiruchy district have received free electricity connections against a target of 925, while over 8,000 applications remain pending. According to Tangedco officials, the pace of distribution, though slow, shows some improvement compared to last year.
“In 2024-25, we were able to provide only around 400 connections against a target of around 2,000. This time, we have already crossed 340 by the seventh month, and efforts are on to accelerate the process in the remaining months,” a senior Tangedco official said.
The Tangedco Tiruchy division has also prepared readiness reports for 2,665 additional connections, which are to be prioritised under three categories - tatkal or one-time payment connections, those recommended under the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) scheme, and fully free farmer connections.
Under the Tatkal scheme, farmers pay up to Rs 2 lakh as a one-time charge to cover wiring and installation costs, after which the electricity usage is free. Officials said at present, priority is being given to one-time payment connections, but efforts are being made to expedite the release of free connections in the coming months.
A larger number of connections have been distributed in the Lalgudi, Musiri, and Thuraiyur regions of the Tiruchy district. The slow disbursal is not limited to Tiruchy. Across Tamil Nadu, the pace of providing free agricultural electricity connections has been sluggish. As per an RTI reply received in July 2025, Tangedco provided only 15,000 free power connections statewide during the 2024-25 fiscal year - far short of the government’s earlier promise of 50,000.
Officials said the target was later reduced to 15,000 due to financial constraints for the current financial year. A senior Tangedco official explained that extending free power supply to agricultural lands involves significant costs for infrastructure such as electric poles, transformers, and metres.
“Many of these farmlands are located in areas inaccessible from the main transmission lines, which increases both the material and labour expenses. While the government’s commitment to providing free power continues, financial and logistical hurdles have slowed the implementation process,” the official added.
