VIJAYAWADA: In yet another ambitious plan, the state government has decided to replace 15 lakh agricultural pump sets across the state with energy efficient ones in a phased manner. In the first phase, around four lakh new pump sets will be installed by March, 2019.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, in a meeting with the energy department officials on Sunday, said that the decision was a Sankranti gift to the farmers in the state. “The government would provide energy efficient agricultural pumps worth Rs 40,000 each to the farmers free of cost. Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country to launch a scheme like this,” he said. The scheme is estimated to cost the exchequer around Rs 6,000 crore.
He explained that the farmers would be supplied with energy efficient pump-sets along with mobile-operated smart control panel. “The farmer can switch on and switch off the pump-set even from home using his mobile. Also, if there is any problem with the pump, it would send an automatic SMS to the people concerned who can immediately rectify the issue,” he said.
In addition to energy efficient pumps, energy department officials said the government was also contemplating providing new solar pump connections to farmers wherever groundwater is available at a depth of 75 metres. “While each if the solar pump costs Rs 3.12 lakh, a farmer will have to bear onl Rs 55,000 as the remaining Rs 2.57 lakh will be contributed by the state government with the assistance from the Union government,” the officials explained.
Besides, around 9.6 lakh pump sets have been connected to High Voltage Distribution System t to ensure better power supply. The government has spent Rs one lakh on each of the pump set.
Energy minister Kala Venkat Rao, speaking on the occasion, said that the government had been providing seven-hour free electricity during the daytime to the farming community as quality power supply is essential to increase productivity in agriculture sector.
Chief secretary Dinesh Kumar, principal secretary (energy and infrastructure) Ajay Jain, CMD of APTRANSCO K Vijayanand, CMDs of APGENCO MM Nayak and HY Dora and other officials also participated in the meeting.