Tangedco: Fixing meters for agri connections began in 2017

As the AIADMK accuse the ruling DMK of double standards on the issue of installing energy meters for agricultural power connections, Tangedco sources revealed that the process of installing energy meters for new agricultural connections began in 2017 and 2.66 lakh connections were metered till March 31 this year.

“Energy meters are installed for the purpose of accounting and cutting down energy loss. Moreover, it is not a new scheme. Since 2017, all the new agricultural power service connections are being metered. Now it is being politicised,” sources said.

Out of the total 23.88 lakh agricultural service connections in the state, 2.66 lakh connections are metered till March 31 this year and another 18,000 connections after the DMK government assumed power. “According to the Electricity Act, all the service connections, including agricultural and huts should be metered. The Union government has been insisting on reducing the energy loss and wants to meter all the agricultural service connections,” a senior Tangedco official said. “Through meter, we will know the exact consumption. For the unmetered connections, the state pays a subsidy to Tangedco which is based on the connected load in HP (horse power),” the official noted.

Apart from it, Tangedco has drafted a plan to segregate agricultural feeders across the state. “We had done a pilot project in Villupuram by segregating 22 agricultural feeders. We are now planning to segregate agricultural feeders from the 3,000 rural feeders under a Central scheme. We are identifying rural feeders with over 500 agricultural connections for it, ” the official said.