MUMBAI: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) on Thursday announced it has created a record in ten years by providing electricity connections to 1.7 lakh farmers for agriculture pumps in 2022-23.
MSEDCL managing director Vijay Singhal said : "We have the highest connections for agriculture power connections in the past one year and the least waiting list now."
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had instructed MSEDCL last year to give priority to farmers and to ensure there is no delay in giving them electricity connections for the agricultural pumps.
Statistics shared on Thursday showed that in 201920, 96,327 connections were given to farmers for agricultural pumps, and this increased to 1.17 lakh in 2020-21 and later to 1.45 lakh in 2021-22 and 1.7 lakh during last financial year.
The number of pending electricity connections (applications) for farmers have now reduced to 1.06 lakh, which is the lowest as compared to past financial years, an official said. The waiting list was as high as 1.8 lakh annually in the past.
The state government provided a fund of Rs 800 crore to provide connection to the farmers while MSEDCL spent its own funds of Rs 241 crore. Apart from this, the money received from farmers' electricity bill collection was also used to provide connection to agricultural pumps.
