New scheme causes problems for jagan Government!?
The matter of attaching smart meters to agricultural motors in andhra pradesh is highly controversial. The jagan government has announced that smart meters will be fitted to agricultural motors in march next year. Since then many criticisms and accusations have been pouring in. The telangana government has already categorically stated several times that this scheme introduced by the Center will cause loss to the farmers.
On the other hand, farmers' associations are criticizing the jagan government's readiness to implement this scheme. Power minister Peddireddy Ramachandra reddy says that smart meters are being installed only for the sake of transparency and accountability of quality electricity supply, but many doubts are expressed among the farmers about this scheme.Peddireddy Ramachandra reddy says that due to the installation of smart meters, farmers do not have to pay a single rupee. It is said that direct deposit will be made directly to the beneficiary farmers' accounts under the Direct to Transfer (DBT) system.
However, farmers' associations are expressing doubts that this is not feasible and they are recalling the issue of gas subsidy by the central government in the past. The center told the people that if you buy a gas tank, you pay the entire amount.. The subsidy will be deposited in your bank accounts. As such, the subsidy was paid well in the beginning. Initially, under the gas subsidy, up to Rs.400 was deposited in the accounts of the beneficiaries. After that, the amount of this subsidy was reduced to less than Rs.150. After that Rs.5 fell to Rs.10. Now not even a rupee of gas subsidy is being deposited.
Now, the opposition farmers' associations are alleging that the jagan government is saying that smart electricity meters will be fitted to the agricultural motors in the same category and that it is like gas subsidy.
Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra reddy says that by knowing exactly how much electricity is being used, it will be possible to install transformers with capacity. It is said that farmers do not need to pay even a single rupee due to installation of meters. cm YS jagan has decided to deposit the electricity charges used for agriculture directly to farmers' accounts through DBT. Peddireddy says that due to this, the farmers will directly pay the money deposited in their accounts to the DISCs.
At present free agricultural electricity is in force. By lifting it and attaching smart meters to agricultural motors, withdrawing money from farmers' accounts, farmers paying electricity bills to discoms. Farmers are questioning whether it is enough to implement free agricultural electricity as usual.
But the government's argument is otherwise. It says that if the farmers pay the bills directly, they will be able to question the discoms on quality electricity. So the DISCs are responsible. As a pilot project in srikakulam district, 18,000 meters have been connected to farmers' motors and good results are being obtained. Statistics show that the meters save 30-36 percent of electricity.
The government says that the farmers should pay the bills received in their meters first. Later, the amounts of those bills will be deposited in the bank accounts of the beneficiary farmers. They say that if the government does not have money, if the amount of bills is not deposited in the farmers' accounts on time, it will be a problem. It is said that if the farmers are unable to pay the electricity bills, the discoms will surely stop the electricity supply and it is the farmers who will suffer because of the smart meters. That is why telangana cm kcr is reminding that this scheme is not being implemented in that state.
Also, the tenders related to the purchase process of these smart meters are also raising controversies. Many newspapers have already published articles that there is a scandal going on in the handing over of this tender.
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