Free irrigation power reaching farmers, no pressure for bill recovery: Min | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh energy minister Arvind Kumar Sharma on Wednesday informed the Assembly that the 5.06 lakh private tubewell owners who are yet to register for the state’s free electricity scheme are not being pressured for bill recovery, even though registration – mandatory for subsidy processing – remains pending.His remarks came a day after TOI reported that over five lakh farmers with private tubewells remain outside the ambit of the flagship free-power scheme even as it enters its third year.Responding to a member’s query, Sharma said Uttar Pradesh has 15,64,219 private agricultural tubewell connections. Of these, 10,59,041 farmers have completed registration under the scheme.He emphasized that registration is a basic administrative requirement to account for beneficiaries and subsidies. “To extend any govt benefit, we must know who the beneficiary is. Registration enables us to present accurate accounts to the govt and power department, following which the subsidy is released.”The state’s flagship free electricity scheme — launched on April 1, 2023, offers 140 free units per kW per month to farmers. It requires beneficiaries to clear all dues up to March 31, 2023, and have functional meters installed.The minister asserted that farmers who have not registered are not being pursued for electricity bill recovery, and that free irrigation power is being provided to them as well. He appealed to the 5.06 lakh unregistered farmers to complete registration promptly, calling it a simple formality essential for transparent accounting of how many crores worth of free power the govt supplies to the farm sector.Sharma also contrasted the pace of agricultural electrification across administrations, stating that up to 2017, about 10 lakh connections had been given to farmers, whereas approximately 6 lakh additional connections were added in eight years since 2017. He underscored that the current regime has, for the first time in the state, arranged free electricity for the irrigation needs of farmers.On Tuesday, TOI had reported that as of Jan 31, 2026, meters had been installed for around 10.74 lakh tubewell connections. Private tubewell farmers collectively owe Rs 5,549 crore in unpaid electricity dues, which officials identify as a key factor behind the slow pace of registration.Welcoming the energy minister’s statement, chairman of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad, Avadhesh Kumar Verma, said: “We welcome the minister’s assurance for farmers, but the UPPCL must simplify the registration process for farmers.”
