BENGALURU : In a huge relief to coffee growers, the government has announced free power to those who use pump sets up to 10 horsepower (hp).
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the decision in the assembly when members from the coffee belt of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan districts demanded free power for pump sets. Bommai said the power subsidy has increased to Rs 14,000 crore annually. “So, we have decided to give free power to coffee growers for pump sets up to 10hp, keeping in mind the problems they face to protect plantations during the summer,” Bommai said.
He said the government will impose certain rules and conditions to ensure that the benefit is not misused. Karnataka has been providing free power for irrigation pumps set up to 10hp owned by farmers for a decade with the rider that they mandatorily install electric meters to quantify power consumption.
“Not all coffee growers are rich; there are many small and marginal growers who are unable to meet their electricity bills or buy diesel generators,” said several members including CT Ravi, KG Bopanna, Apachhu Ranjan, and MP Kumaraswamy (all BJP) and AT Ramaswamy and HK Kumaraswamy (JDS). Ranjan said tobacco and areca nut growers have been getting free power, but not coffee growers.
