Setting aside all speculations, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday made it clear that the State Government would continue with the ‘free farm power scheme’, while at the same time asserting that the government has no plans to introduce metering or charge big farmers for power.
“Free power to the farmers will continue in the coming days too. There is no proposal to levy any rate on free power to the food growers. The state has surplus power for the farmers…and there is no dearth of funds for giving subsidy to them,” said the Chief Minister while addressing the media.
The Chief Minister’s reply came in response to a media query regarding recent recommendations by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proposing charging the state’s big farmers for power used for their tubewells.
Mann categorically said that there would be no discrimination between small and big farmers, while asserting that Punjab's financial resources are abundant, allowing for the continued provision of free farm power.
Responding to criticisms that free farm power contributes to the over-exploitation of underground water resources, Mann highlighted the State Government’s efforts to implement canal water irrigation as a key strategy for water conservation.
He underscored that the government’s efforts to increase the usage of canal water have already borne fruit, with irrigation coverage expanding from 35-36 per cent to 44 per cent of cultivated land this year. The Chief Minister outlined plans to further elevate this figure to 70 per cent in the coming year, aided by ongoing projects to lay underground pipes for more efficient water distribution.
At the same time, he said that the State Government was trying not to give new tubewell connections. He noted, there were 14 lakh tubewells connections. He also added that the State Government is in the process of merging three departments related to canal water irrigation so that the decisions are taken quickly.
“It is our duty to conserve water for future generations. Due to floods 1.5 to two lakh cusecs is going downstream through Harike. We should recharge our aquifers with this water,” he said.
Mann acknowledged the challenge of discouraging farmers from cultivating water-intensive crops, like paddy, without providing economically-viable alternatives. He revealed consultations with Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to conduct trials of alternative crops before recommending shifts to farmers.
With respect to the ongoing debate on charging large farmers for power usage, Mann emphasized the complexities of differentiating between big and small farmers. He shared that discussions are ongoing with NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) to increase incentives for farmers who opt for paddy crop holidays. Mann suggested that if farmers receive sufficient compensation for abstaining from paddy cultivation, they may be more open to adopting alternative crops.
Notably, NABARD is offering Rs 25,000 for paddy crop holiday in every acre. The State Government has asked NABARD to raise it to 35,000 per acre, in which the State Government can add Rs 5,000 per acre. “If the farmers get Rs 40,000 per acre for not sowing paddy every season, they could opt for it,” he added.
Vidhan Sabha’s PAC, led by Congress MLA and former Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, had recommended the withdrawal of free power from big farmers and metering of their agricultural tubewells. The recommendation was made as a part of the efforts to rationalize the state’s power subsidy expenditure, which amounts to Rs 20,000 crore.
Notably, the free power to weaker section domestic consumers and farmers is ongoing since 1998. AAP Government, after coming to power, implemented its poll promise of giving 300 units of free power every month to domestic consumers — further increasing the state’s power subsidy bill.