Fixing of smart meters to pump sets will be opposed tooth and nail, warn farmers in Andhra Pradesh
The Hindu
It will turn out to be the ‘ political waterloo’ of YSRCP govt., says APCC leader
An all-party meeting convened by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) decided to step up the struggle against the installation of smart meters to farm pump sets in the State, which the outfit alleged was being done at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.
It was decided at the meeting to fight the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 introduced in Parliament with a view to amend the Electricity Act, 2003 as it went against the interests of the farmers who were already finding it tough to eke out a livelihood given the ever-increasing cost of farm inputs and unremunerative prices for their produce.
‘’Farmers are perplexed as to why the YSR Congress Party government is so keen to fix smart meters at a time when the so-called electricity reforms have evoked lukewarm response from several States, including some BJP-ruled States,” it said.
AIKS Prakasam district secretary Vadde Hanuma Reddy, who chaired the meeting, exhorted farmers across the State not to allow fixing of smart meters taking a cue from their Anantapur counterparts.
‘‘Metering of power consumed by farmers will neither improve the quality of power supply nor cut down transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. The same will be used only to dilute the free power scheme over a period of time,” he feared.
Contractors in the State charged an exorbitant ₹35,000 each for smart meters in the State when they were available for Rs.12,000 per piece including maintenance cost for one year in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Samyukta Kisan Morcha Prakasam district convener Ch. Ranga Rao said.
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