To promote horticulture-based industries and cold supply chains in the State, Haryana Government has decided to subsidize  the electricity rates for the industrial units of this sector.

With this decision, Farmers, Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) listed with Small Framers Agri-Business Consortium Haryana, Cooperative Societies and other Micro and Small Enterprises related to Horticulture will get electricity on almost half the price.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Jai Prakash Dalal on Monday said that presently Rs 8.00 to Rs 8.35 per unit is applicable to these Industrial units listed under HT and LT category respectively, but now Rs. 2.50 and  4.50 per unit will be applicable after this decision.

The Horticulture department will be giving the gap amount of the electricity rates as a subsidy to these units through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This will put an additional financial burden of about 70 to 80 crores on the Horticulture Department. This decision will be applicable to the new financial year April 1, 2020.

He informed that the horticulture units where the electricity rate will be applicable at Rs 2.50 per unit, includes, pack houses and activities done under the packhouse including Ripening, Pre- Cooling, Cold Room, etc. Apart from this Mushroom Heating and Mushroom Compost Unit, Honey Processing Unit, Tissue Culture Lab and milk-related bulk milk chamber units will also be included in the same slab. While the electricity rate of Rs 4.50 per unit will be applicable in cold store, C.A. store

The minister said that earlier, the electricity rates of the horticulture based industries and cold supply chain were similar to commercial industries, but on the request of farmers and entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal has taken this decision.

Dalal said that this decision will not only give a boost to the horticulture sector but will also create employment opportunities in this sector.