The Yogi Adityanath administration announced a 50% drop in power tariffs for agricultural usage on Thursday, potentially boosting the BJP's rural outreach ahead of the state elections. Over 13 lakh consumers in rural and semi-rural regions will immediately benefit from the move.
The directive, which was issued through Twitter by the CM's office, separated the targeted users into four categories: metered, unmetered, energy-efficient pumps, and farmers in urban areas who receive metered electricity.
Farmers will be obliged to pay only Re 1 per unit for metered connections for pumps in rural regions, rather than the current Rs 2 per unit. The fixed price of 70 rupees per horsepower (HP) has also been decreased to 35 rupees per HP.
Similarly, the fixed rate for an unmetered connection has been decreased from Rs 170 per HP to Rs 85 per HP. The electricity costs for energy efficient pumps have been cut from Rs 1.6 to 83 paise per unit. The fixed price, which was formerly Rs 70 per HP, has been reduced to Rs 35 per HP.
The electricity rate for farmers getting metered power in urban areas has been decreased from Rs 6 per unit to Rs 3 per unit. The fixed price per HP has also been reduced from Rs 130 to Rs 65. According to the CM's office, the decision was made with the farmers' "convenience and prosperity" in mind. According to a government official, the sop would take effect immediately.
Few weeks ago, In the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly elections, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had made a number of promises. Priyanka Gandhi announced that the Congress would create 2 million jobs and that each district would have a manufacturing hub. She further criticized the Prime Minister, saying he showed no regard for the farmers who perished in the struggle against the now-repealed legislations introduced in Parliament's Monsoon Session in 2020.
