The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has strongly opposed the Centre’s proposal to do away with free power supply for farmers and instead go in for direct benefit transfer.
TNCC president K.S. Alagiri on Monday termed the announcement as most treacherous and unacceptable move on the part of the Union Government.
When agriculture was in peril, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi brought in the ‘Green Revolution’, which led to a boost in the production of paddy and wheat, he told presspersons at Villupuram.
Till then, the Union Government had been dependent on the import of wheat from the US and Russia. But the green revolution reversed the trend and brought cheer to the farmers, he said.
Mr. Alagiri said the Tamil Nadu government headed by former DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi also announced free power supply to farmers in the State, which was continued by successive governments.
Power supply to farmers should not be seen as free, it should be viewed on the same lines of infrastructure development like construction of roads and bridges to boost the economy, he added.
If free power supply is discontinued, the position of farmers will become precarious and the Centre will be again forced to import from the US.
The State government must not accept the move of the Centre. If the announcement is implemented, there would be total chaos and the implementation would only be at the cost of farmers, he added.
“This is an attempt to bury the concept of federalism in the country and the Centre is trying to usurp the powers of the State,” Mr. Alagiri said.
Earlier, Mr. Alagiri visited the house of Jayashree, a school girl who was allegedly set ablaze and offered condolences to the family members.
PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss, in a couple of tweets, called the Centre’s proposal an injustice to the State. “It is the State’s duty to ensure free electricity for farmers. The Centre should not try to usurp the powers. The PMK opposes the Electricity (Amendment) Act. The government should not try to implement its provisions even before it is passed. It should take back the conditions to raise more loans,” he tweeted.
