NASHIK: Under the Department of Energy’s Agricultural Pumps Connection Policy 2020, a total of 2,873 new connections of agricultural pumps were commissioned in the Nashik circle. This includes 2,534 connections within 30 meters of a low voltage-line pole. Under this scheme, 1,53,620 farmers in Nashik circle have availed the benefit of the scheme by paying Rs. 119 crore against agricultural pump arrears.
Altogether 505 connections in Nashik circle, 255 in Malegaon circle, and 1774 in Ahmednagar circle within the distance of 30 meters from the pole of low voltage powerline have been given, totaling 2534 connections in Nashik circle. In the meantime, the new agricultural pump power policy is getting a good response from the farmers.
Since the announcement of various concessions for payment of arrears in this scheme announced on October 20, 19,263 farmers in Nashik circle (mandal) have paid Rs. 22.36 crore, 23,075 farmers in Malegaon circle have paid Rs. 26.36 crore and 1,10,930 farmers in Ahmednagar circle have paid Rs. 70.07 crore. Thus, a total of 1,53,268 farmers in the Nashik circle have availed the benefit of this scheme by paying Rs. 119 crore as agricultural pump arrears.
Deepak Kumthekar, Chief Engineer, Nashik Circle, has appealed to the farmers in the circle to avail the benefits of this scheme. According to the applications received after April 1, 2018, the process of providing new power connections to agricultural pumps was stalled.
To speed it up again, Energy Minister Dr. Nitin Raut had taken the initiative to formulate a separate policy for the first time in the state with regard to concessions in agricultural pumps and arrears. That is how the Agricultural Pump Power Connection Policy 2020 came into reality.
