Representational Image. Photo: Satheesh Kumar KB/Mathrubhumi Archives
Thrissur: The Kerala government has relaxed conditions to give free power supply to farmers. The new order regarding power subsidy ensures that the formation of farmers’ union will not be mandatory to claim subsidy and the farmers can individually apply for the free electricity supply.
The latest order increases the anxieties of many farmers as they are worried whether they would get ousted from the power subsidy scheme.
Earlier, the government had directed the farmers to form unions to avail benefits of free electricity supply, in order to roll out the direct benefit transfer system for reimbursing the money spent for electricity.
The new order directs to issue the amount via zero balance accounts, from which the KSEB officials can withdraw the money directly. For this, the individual farmers and farmers’ unions have to hand over willingness certificates to the concerned authorities.
The latest developments will help the small scale farmers, who could not join in unions, to avail the benefits of free power supply.