The Hindu : Will hp be a factor for subsidy, ask delta farmers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Will hp be a factor for subsidy, ask delta farmers

By G. Srinivasan

Thanjavur April 17 . Cauvery delta farmers are still confused, not knowing who will benefit from the Rs. 1,000-subsidy announced by the State Government for power used by agriculture pumpsets. Though the Government may be clear who are small and marginal farmers, who should benefit by the concession, doubts persist among the agriculturists whether the horsepower of pumpsets will be a determining factor.

The farmers say the government announcement is that the subsidy is for small farmers (possessing wet land up to one hectare and dry land up to two hectares) and marginal farmers (owning wet land less than one hectare or dry land less than two hectares). But if a big farmer (possessing wet land more than a hectare) uses a five-hp pumpset, will he be eligible for subsidy, they ask. Again if a small and marginal farmer uses a pumpset of more than five-hp capacity, will he be eligible or will he forgo the subsidy, they ask, worried again about the horsepower of the motor and the depth of the source from which they are lifting water.

This question assumes significance from the statistics given by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board that many large farmers have three and five-hp motors, while many small and marginal farmers possess 7.5 and 10-hp units.

According to TNEB sources in the Thanjavur circle, which comprises Thanjavur district and part of Tiruvarur district, 1,000 marginal farmers own three-hp motors; about 4,000 marginal farmers own five-hp motors, 750 marginal farmers use 7.5-HP motors and 100 marginal farmers have 10-hp motors.

As for small farmers, 1,000 of them own three-hp motors, at least 10,000 use five-hp sets, another 2000 have 7.5-hp motors and 400 own 10-hp motors. Among large farmers, a hundred of them own three-hp motors, another 6,000 operate five-hp motors, 4,000 are using 7.5-hp motors, 700 own 10-hp motors and another 700 use more than 10-hp motors.

There are 2,100 three-hp motors, 20,000 five-hp motors, 6,750 7.5-hp motors and 1,200 ten-hp motors in the circle. There are 700 motors whose power is more than 10 hp.

But the farmers say these statistics may not be correct right now. "The water level has gone down and there is no three-hp motor in use in the delta. Even five-hp sets are rare, and only 7.5-hp motors are found more in number. Farmers now use 7.5-10-hp submersible motors to lift water as the level, which was once at 100 feet, has gone down to 200-300 feet in many places," explains a farmer leader.

`Meter pumpsets'

Many of the farmers also favour metering of pumpsets. S. Ranganathan, secretary, Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association, says metering would reveal the actual quantity of power used. Delta farmers were used to metering till 1984. He also says power drawn from agriculture connections was misused for industrial purposes in the Karur and Jeddarpalayam areas. This has given rise to charges of large-scale misuse of farm power.

The TNEB sources say they have already started metering of new connections. It has been done for 7,000 new connections. As for old pumpsets, they say there is no clear order whether metering should be done or the bill collected based on hp.

The sources say many farmers, who got permission for using five-hp sets, were using 10-hp submersible motors. Many of these cases can be detected.

At the same time, many farmers have also come forward seeking regularisation of the additional load.

There is also a demand that the Government could, instead of offering subsidy to farmers and asking them to pay, give it directly to the TNEB and provide free power. There are 40,000 services as on date in the Thanjavur circle and more than 70,000 in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts. Direct payment would help both the farmers and the board, the farmers argue.

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