Farmers to get cashback on power they save during agricultural operations
In order to save depletion of groundwater and encourage power save, farmers are set to get a cashback on the power save by them while carrying out agricultural operations.
For each unit of power save, a direct benefit transfer of the cost of power saved will be made into their bank accounts.
The scheme will come up for formal approval before the Cabinet on Wednesday.
Sources in the Power Department said, that a pilot project was being launched by J PAL, funded by the World Bank.
To begin with the scheme is being started on six agricultural feeders in Fatehgarh Sahib, Nawanshahr and Jalandhar by involving 900 agricultural power consumers. The scheme is voluntary and the connections of all farmers who opt for it will be metered. Those who consume less power will get a cashback.
The project was aimed at lessening the use of underground water through tubewells, adding that lesser power consumed would also help save on free power given to the agricultural sector, officials said.
This fiscal, free power worth Rs 7,700 crore is being given to farmers in the state. Almost 30 per cent of the power consumption is in the agricultural sector.
-PTC News
