The Hindu Business Line : AP Govt reiterates commitment on free power supply to farmers

THE Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Sunday sought the cooperation of Opposition parties in the endeavour to promote water conservation measures while reiterating his commitment to provide free power to farmers.

By opposing the Government's advice to farmers to go in for capacitors and not to grow water-intensive paddy in rabi, the Opposition is not only harming the interests of ryots but also affecting the ongoing efforts to protect the precious resources - water and power, the Chief Minister said.

In an open letter to political parties, Dr Reddy said he was constrained to come out with this appeal, the second in the recent past on the issue of water, pained by the manner in which different parties have tried to twist the Government's pro-farmer campaign launched keeping in mind the long-term interests of ryots to sustain the energy system.

The Chief Minister reiterated that providing seven hours of power supply with quality and reliability to farmers both for kharif and rabi seasons was the topmost priority of the Government.

He regretted the stand taken by the Opposition parties on the ground that there was nothing new in what the Government is stating now.

On the contrary, the twin issues, installation of capacitors by farmers and non-cultivation of paddy during rabi, were being propagated since the 1980s and the same were part of the "modified power policy" brought out by the Government in April, 2005.

Even the tariff order given by the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission clearly mentioned that paddy should not be grown as a second crop and also listed out the energy conservation measures farmers need to adopt and the incentives they would get on account of it.

Dr Reddy pointed out that energy experts have advocated the need to adopt water and energy conservation measures to make the best possible use of available power to meet the requirements of all sections.

Capacitors, which do not cost more than Rs 300-500, help save 10 per cent of energy and protect motors and transformers.

The Chief Minister pointed out that hundreds of farmers committed suicide in the past, mainly owing to huge power costs and the consequential debts.

Over-exploitation of groundwater resulted in more than 2.3 lakh wells drying up and the area under borewell cultivation has gone up from 8 lakh ha in 1970s to more than 25 lakh ha now. The latest groundwater analysis report says that the present area under irrigation through groundwater will not be able to sustain in future because of fast depletion of the resource.

As against Rs 4,000 profit per acre that the farmer gains through paddy, the benefit by cultivating the ID (irrigated dry) crops will be in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000.

The Chief Minister appealed to political parties, interested groups and farmers associations to join the campaign proposed by the Government from November 7 to create awareness among farmers on the need to protect precious water.

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