AP to clear 46,000 pending farm power connections soon

Vijayawada: The state govt will release 46,000 pending free electricity connections to the agriculture sector before the next cropping season, energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar informed the state assembly on Thursday. Replying to a question raised by MLA Konathala Ramakrishna, the minister said the govt is committed to strengthening the free power supply to farmers and expediting pending agricultural connections. He stated that after the coalition govt led by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu assumed office, as many as 1,02,538 new free agricultural electricity connections were sanctioned across the 3 discoms. However, about 46,000 applications are still pending, and these will be cleared ahead of the forthcoming agricultural season, he assured.The minister said that there are currently 22,30,703 free agricultural electricity connections across the state. He explained that Rs 839.44 crore was spent across the 3 discoms to provide free power supply to farmers during the 2025–26 financial year. He said that about 2,61,481 agricultural power connections were sanctioned under the PM-KUSUM scheme in the state so far. The minister said the implementation of feeder-level solar projects would result in savings of Rs 1,059 crore for the state govt on power purchases.Solar power plants are being set up near 11 KV lines to ensure a stable supply, enabling the provision of electricity at a uniform tariff for 25 years. He said that land acquisition is under way for feeder-level solar projects, and tenders were invited for a capacity of 1,035 MW. The govt set a target of generating 4,000 MW of power between 2028 and 2030."Once feeder-level solar plants become fully operational, farmers will be able to receive 9 hours of quality power supply during morning hours. The energy department aims to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply not only to farmers but also to domestic, industrial and commercial consumers across the state," said Gottipati Ravi Kumar.