MLAs told to get farmers to pay dues

Mumbai: A letter from state power minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to all MLAs has sparked off controversy. Mr Bawankule has asked the MLAs to hold gatherings of farmers with pending payments for agricultural pumps and ensure that they pay their bills. MLAs from rural Maharashtra, who have received Mr Bawankule’s letter, are complaining about it.

NCP MLA from Shahapur assembly constituency, Pandurang Barora, was shocked and said, “Farmers are already in distress. Just a few days ago, the government has threatened to cut off their power connections in case of pending bills. In such a scenario, how can MLAs hold a rally! The government should have its own system for this.”

Meanwhile, Mr Bawankule was unavailable for comment.

Nearly rs 17,500 crores is pending with farmers over agricultural pumps. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Board is stressed about such a huge amount which has resulted in the electricity board buying power from private companies and providing it to consumers in the state. In this backdrop, the power ministry is working on various measures to get farmers to clear their pending bills.

In October, the ministry warned farmers that power connections would be cut off by November 7 in case of failure to make necessary payments. However, opposition parties and farmers’ organisations have slammed the decision. Looking at their reaction, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened and postponed the deadline by eight days. Also,

Farmers were given options of installations in case of the pending amount exceeding Rs 30,000.