By Apurva Bhatt

The Devendra Fadnavis-led state government has chalked out an ambitious plan to equip the state's farmers with solar-powered water pumps. Besides farmers, the scheme is meant to benefit industrial power consumers. At present, industrial consumers cross-subsidise the state's farmers' electricity bills.If the scheme succeeds, the lowering of power rates will serve as a boost to industries in Maharashtra, which rue the fact that neighbouring states have lower power tariffs.

At present, the industrial users cross-subsidise the agricultural consumers to the extent of around Rs6,980 crore per year; in addition, the state government bears an additional subsidy burden of around Rs 3,500 crore for about 40 lakh metered and unmetered agricultural pumps, which make up for around 23% of the state's power demand. Around 2 lakh fresh agricultureconnections are added every year. Taking these pumps off the grid will eventually reduce the industrial power tariffs by around Rs 1 per unit.

But pumps with a massive installed capacity including those used in lift irrigation schemes will not be replaced. Farmers' tariffs depend on the installed horse power (HP) capacity of their pumps and officials say under-reporting of this capacity to ensure lower bills is rampant with a poor payment culture.

Agricultural consumers pay just Rs3,014 annually for a 3 HP pump; the state government pitches in with the balance amount in the Rs14,098 total bill. For a 5 HP pump, the farmer pays Rs7,669 of the Rs23,336 bill. A large number of pumps in the state are 5 HP ones, said officials from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran).

"The plan, the largest of its kind so far, will involve the replacement of 5 lakh conventional pumps annually with solar-powered ones. This is the government's vision for ensuring that farmers, even in areas where transmission lines cannot be laid, can generate power for watering their farms. This will also bring down tariffs for industries by reducing the cross-subsidy," said an official from the chief minister's office (CMO).