Tamil Nadu: DMK Keeps Poll Promise As Farmers Get 1 Lakh Free Electricity Connections

Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the sole aim of the project was to increase farm production and the project be the foundation for agriculture revolution in the state

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday launched the project to provide one lakh farm electricity connections at a cost of Rs 3,025 Crore by distributing orders to provide electricity connections for pumpsets to 10 farmers in an event that took place at Anna Centenary Library auditorium in Chennai. 

The project was announced in the state assembly session during the demand for grants for the energy department. 

Quoting the Chief Minister, a PTI report said that only two lakh power connections were provided in the last 10 years during the AIADMK period but the government, within four months after assuming charge, had already commenced the process to provide one lakh connections and this was the difference between AIADMK and DMK governments. 

Pointing out that his government had always been the farmers’ regime, he said that the sole aim of the project was to increase farm production and the project be the foundation for agriculture revolution in the state, as per the report.

The report further said that Stalin had urged the farmers to use the power judiciously.

Explaining that one should not assume that the state-run electricity entity was flourishing because of the implementation of the one lakh electricity connection scheme, he alleged that the entity was ruined during the AIADMK regime and the electricity department which has debt of Rs 1.59 lakh crore, had to pay Rs 16,000 crore as interest annually, according to the report.

Quoting the Chief Minister, the report further said that the previous AIADMK government had purchased power at a high cost and there is a discrepancies between on hand coal stock and the quantity recorded in thermal power stations.  

Assuring that his government has been taking all necessary steps to improve the state of electricity department, he said that project to generate 17,980 MW in the next ten years has already commenced, solar power park would be set up in Tiruvarur and recently, TANGEDCO has signed an agreement with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency for developing renewable energy projects.