The Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan approved the 'Chief Minister’s Permanent Pump Connection Scheme' to make the State free from temporary connections. The scheme will be implemented by the power distribution companies for minimum three HP connections in the rural areas.
Power distribution companies will immediately act on the connections where providing permanent connections is possible through extension of low tension lines. A sum of `100 crore will be provided to distribution companies for the task. It will be charged ` 5,000 per HP to small and marginal farmers of Scheduled Castes in the current year. Other small and marginal farmers will be charged at `7,000 per HP. The farmers having over two hectare land will be charged at the rate of `11,000 per HP.
The farmers, willing to carry out infrastructure work, will get facility to complete the work under Deposit Scheme by distribution companies or themselves. Such farmers will be charged three percent supervision charge. The Government will give 40 percent as a capital to distribution companies under the scheme and the rest 60 percent will be borrowed by the companies from financial institutions. The Government will extend guarantee for the loan. Farmers taking temporary connections will get uninterrupted power supply on the charges lower than they pay at present on temporary connections. It will be possible for farmers to get more than one crop and double their income from agriculture.