Maharashtra government exempts fine on farmer's outstanding electricity bill

The Maharashtra government has exempted interest/fine on outstanding electricity bills of farmers. 

The move has come a day after the state's energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule appealed to the farmers to clear off their pending electricity dues within the next week to avail the benefit of a scheme under which the interest on pending bills was exempted. 

He asked the farmers to pay their dues without any penalty under the Mukhyamantri Krushi Sanjeevani Yojana. 

He also said that they will issue notice for disconnection of electricity of farmers who do not pay their electricity bills by next week. 

The minister said that around 41 lakh farmers had outstanding electricity bills which amounted to about Rs 19,272 crore. 

He added that the government spends Rs 6.50 per unit for supplying electricity to farmers, but it charges only Rs 1.80 per unit in return.

He also said that in the last three years not a single electricity connection of farmers was disconnected.

Meanwhile, the farmer's groups in the state have announced three protests in November. 

The farmers will protest for the continuous disruption of power from the electricity suppliers, who disconnect services to make farmers pay their pending dues. 

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)