Andhra farmers give consent for installation of electricity meters under DBT scheme

About 92 per cent of the total farmers in the state have given their consent to the power utilities to implement the DBT (direct benefit transfer) scheme and signed agreements for the installation of meters in the farmlands, according to the state energy department officials.

Under the DBT scheme, the government will deposit the entire amount of electricity bill(s) into the accounts of farmers, and the farmers would pay to the Discoms.

According to the state energy officials, the state government has introduced the DBT for the free power scheme, which the Union government also suggested implementing to improve the quality of power with accountability.

The DBT scheme, which was implemented as a pilot project in Srikakulam district, was successful with 98.6 per cent of the farmers giving their consent voluntarily. As of now, there is no practical assessment or accurate measurement of the electricity load in the agriculture sector in the state.

As per an official statement issued by the energy department on Sunday, energy secretary Srikant Nagulapalli informed the energy minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy about the progress of the DBT scheme over the phone.