Free power supply to ryots would continue, vows agriculture min

TIRUCHY: Suspension of free power supply to the farmers is just a rumour and it would be continued and so far we have distributed 1.50 lakh free supply, said the minister for Agriculture MRK Panneer Selvam here on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after distributing welfare assistance and tools to the farmers, the Agriculture Minister MRK Panneer Selvam said, within six months of forming government, one lakh free power supply has been given to the farmers and soon after 50,000 more farmers received free power supply.

“This will continue and the number of beneficiaries would be announced in the next budget,” said the minister.

Answering to a query that the farmers who availed subsidised solar power generation kits would stop free power supply, the minister said that there was no such plan and those who have got the supply would continue to enjoy.

“There is a rumour about the withdrawal of free power supply to the farmers and the farmers should not be carried away by these rumours,” the minister further stated.

Meanwhile, the minister refused the claim that the farmers are not interested in crop insurance.

“We continue to insist the farmers to insure their crops. And almost all the farmers have shown interest in crop insurance. Still, on our part, we continue to advise them”, Panneer Selvam said.

While answering to a query on water release for irrigation, the minister KN Nehru said, recently the Upper Anicut received over 1.30 lakh cusecs of water and it was diverted to the Cauvery and the Kollidam.

“We have ensured the water reached each tail end area. In Tiruchy as many as 28 water bodies used for irrigation have full capacity of water”, Nehru said.

Earlier, the ministers distributed welfare assistance to the beneficiaries. They also distributed agricultural machineries, free house patta to the Narikurava beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 11.15 crore.