ADILABAD: Despite successive governments claiming to have enough power to supply to agriculture sector and unequivocally vowing to improve irrigation potential, over 300 irrigation wells in Indervelli mandal of Adilabad district are awaiting a power connection since nearly quarter of a century.
These wells are part of the 640 sanctioned by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Utnoor to tribal farmers way back in 1992. The ITDA had even disbursed electric pumpsetsto the beneficiaries with the promise of supplying power. The TS Northern Power Distribution Company Limited, then known as AP State Electricity Board, had even conducted a survey and erected a 100 KVA transformer and 150 poles to supply power to these wells, but did not rig the all important cable.
Bills sans supply
“Nothing happened after that,” complained Rathod Parshuram Naik of Laltekdi village. “We are however being served with electricity consumption bills for over ₹5,000,” added the surprised farmer.
“We even paid the bill once because officials assured that we would get power supply only if we pay the bill,” recalled Pendur Turpabai of Marutiguda.
“We also threw a party for the officials in 1996 as they assured us that the power lines will be rigged within a few days,” added Durva Jugath Rao of the same village.
Each well is designed to irrigate over 10 acres of the hilly and undulating stretches of land in the remote tribal villages. Most of these wells are brimming with water thanks to a surplus monsoon, highlighting the phenomenal wastage of the effort.
ITDA powerless
The ITDA had apparently washed its hands off saying it has no budgetary provision for getting electricity for the pumpsets it had sanctioned.
Following this many farmers sold away the pumpsets and a few purchased sets run on diesel.
“We will get a fresh survey conducted to assess the feasibility for supply of power to these wells. We will rectify records and waive off the bills of those farmers who have not used power,” assured TSNPDCL Adilabad Superintending Engineer Jaywanth Chauhan.
