PSPCL initiates scheme for farmers to save water

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 13

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) chairman-cum-managing director (CMD), Er Baldev Singh Sran, on Wednesday said the PSPCL had started implementing a pilot project of direct benefit transfer for electricity to agricultural consumers under the ‘Paani Bachoo, Paise Kamao’ scheme. 

The CMD said in the first phase, six pilot feeders in Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur had been selected for the scheme and the main objective of it was to save water and earn money. 

He said the state might face problems as the groundwater level had considerably gone down.

Er Sran added it would be a voluntary disclosure scheme and would not be forced on consumers. 

While elaborating on the details of the scheme, the CMD said, “If the power supply limit of a farmer is fixed 1,000 units per month, according to BHP (brake horsepower) capacity of his motor, and the farmer consumes 800 units, in that case, Rs 800 (Rs 4 per unit) will be directly credited into his bank account. If the consumption of the farmer exceeds the limit, the consumer will not liable to pay any charges on this account and electricity will be supplied free of cost.” 

He clarified that farmers, who did not adopt the scheme, would be supplied electricity free of cost and the consumers, who would voluntarily adopt this scheme, meters would be installed on their motors to keep the record of the subsidy. However, no bill would be issued to them, he added. 

The CMD said consumers of these six feeders would be supplied electricity only in the day.

“If more than 80 per cent of the consumers on these feeders adopt the scheme, consumers falling in these areas will get additional supply of two hours. I appealed to the people to save Punjab from water crisis by adopting the scheme. I urge them to play a vital in saving power, which will help strengthen the economic condition of farmers,” Er Saran added.