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Who asked for 24X7 free power scheme, Mr KCR?

Who asked for 24X7 free power scheme, Mr KCR?

The 24X7 free power supply scheme for agriculture sector, launched by Telangana government, might have got the wide coverage in the media as the major decision, a revolutionary step by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and a New Year gift for farmers.

The CM’s publicity wing has claimed that it is now the only state in the country to provide uninterrupted free power supply round the clock to farmers free of cost. It is a historic decision, it claimed.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reiterated on several occasions that the TRS government won’t hesitate to purchase power from neighbouring states to fulfill the promise made to farmers.

However, critics say the decision would only be counter-productive to the farmers.

“Who has asked for 24X7 power supply? Agriculture sector does not need round the clock power; it needs at the most seven to nine hours power supply to irrigate their crops.

If free power is given all through the day, it would only result in over-exploitation of ground water and within no time, the entire ground water is depleted,” an expert observed.

Secondly, farmers have already installed auto-starters for their pump sets, which result in continuous running of motors and it will only provide more than the required amount of water to the crops.

And bigger farmers draw excess water, resulting in lack of sufficient water for small and marginal farmers. 

Finally, there is also a possibility of ground water being drawn through agriculture pump sets and sold to households through water tankers, the expert observed.

It is a human tendency that anything that comes free is over exploited. Former chief minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy experienced it by giving free power supply. Now, it is available round the clock!

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