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When
someone talks about farmers' interests, his talk must be
based on spirit and emotions. To elaborate further, the
bid to beguile farmers or for that matter anyone else
through maneuvering and machinations cannot remain secret
for long. Leaving behind the bygone era, the Madhya
Pradesh Government has dedicated itself towards the
benefits of farmers and paid the amount of their waived
electricity bills during the last three years to
Electricity Board and Electricity Distribution Company.
The
electricity bills of farmers for the period between 2001
and 2003 were waived. But there was no financial
arrangement to back the move. With the result, the dues of
MPSEB and Power Distribution Company kept mounting so much
so that they came to the brink of financial disaster. With
a view to implementing its decision, the onus of improving
the economic condition of these companies rested on the
shoulder of the state government. Otherwise the entire
system would have gone haywire and justice could not have
been meted out to any one. We took this responsibility
seriously and paid Rs 1,783 crore against the waived bills
of farmers.
It
has been our emotional effort to do something concrete for
farmers and rural folks through our own resources. There
was another complicated and old case of dues to the tune
of Rs 2,523.65 crore on state Electricity Board which it
had to pay to Rural Electrification Corporation till March
31, 2004. Electricity Board's deteriorated economic
condition had become a great hurdle in payment of dues.
Our government solved this complicated problem through a
tri-partite agreement. Under this arrangement, the state
government and Electricity Board agreed to pay to Rural
Electrification Corporation amount of Rs 1414.80 crore and
Rs 325.80 crore respectively. Under the tri-partite
agreement, accrued interest to the tune of Rs 744 crore
due on Electricity Board was also waived. Thus the state
government played this important role in the larger
interests of farmers. Not only this, but we also helped
Electricity Board and its successor companies to get the
grant from Rural Electrification Corporation.
No
one can doubt the intentions of one who has actual concern
for rural folk's welfare. But I would quote another fact
to strengthen my notion. In fact, the state government
gives subsidy and tariff subsidy to Electricity Board for
rural electrification. from the years 93-94 to 98-99 the
Board was given only Rs 2700.11 subsidy as against Rs
4180.35 crore while the rest Rs 1880.66 crore subsidy was
adjusted.
During
the years 1999-2000 and 2003-04, Rs 4166.86 crore was
allocated as subsidy. But out of this amount cash payment
of only Rs 2183.91 was paid to Electricity Board while the
rest Rs 2028.95 crore amount was adjusted. In this way
during 10 years, subsidy to the tune of Rs 6866.97 accrued
but only Rs 2957.35 was paid in cash.
Now
proving its dedication, the state government has paid
total amount of tariff subsidy to the tune of Rs 2261.06
crore from 2004-05 till August 2007 to Electricity Board.
As a result, the economic condition of Electricity Board
has improved considerably. If we compare, during the 10
years before our government took over only Rs 2957.35
crore cash tariff subsidy was paid to Electricity Board
while during the three years of our government Rs 2044.18
crore cash subsidy was provided to Electricity Board.
Now
have a look at the facts which relate to present state
government's decisions in the interests of farmers and
rural people. On due bills for power connection of flour
mills in rural areas we have made arrangement of payment
in installments and waived surcharge amount on such due
bills. We are implementing this scheme for the last two
years. Similarly, with a view to facilitating farmers we
have started a scheme name Suvidha under which farmers
have been provided relief in payment of due amounts of
power bills. Farmers can make payment of due amount in
eight monthly installments under this scheme and surcharge
amount due on such bills has also been reduced by 70 to 80
per cent.
Only
mere gift of gibe cannot serve farmers' interests. It
needs to perform such deeds which show sincerity. I would
also like to mention here that we have simplified the
process of providing temporary pump connections to farmers
and a scheme by the nomenclature 'Sona-Chandi' was
launched only last year to encourage such connections. For
taking such connections for more than one month,
electricity surcharge is also being relaxed. Now let's see
the comparative results that before 2003-04 only four lakh
temporary connections were given to farmers whereas during
the year 2006-07 our government gave 8.82 lakh such
electricity connections to farmers. The scheme has been
continued even during this Rabi season.
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