Gandhinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) The Gujarat government has provided 4,555 new agricultural power connections in Bhavnagar district over the past two years, with expenditure of Rs 66.85 crore (Rs 6,685 lakh), the Assembly was informed on Saturday.

Responding to a question on general agricultural power connections in the Legislative Assembly, Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel said the state is committed to supplying affordable and quality electricity to support farmers’ economic upliftment.

“The state government is firm in its resolve to provide cheap and quality power to farmers for their economic advancement,” he said.

Patel outlined the cost structure of new connections, stating that the average expenditure to provide a single agricultural power connection is Rs 1.73 lakh.

This includes infrastructure such as poles, lines, transformers and the High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS).

“Against this amount, farmers are required to pay only a nominal charge based on the sanctioned load. The remaining cost is borne by the state government, which pays the subsidy directly to the power companies,” he said.

He added that the connections were granted under various government schemes aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure and expanding access to electricity for irrigation and other farm activities.

The minister also detailed concessions extended to specific categories of beneficiaries.

As part of the state government’s policy, farmers belonging to the Scheduled Caste category and those residing in tribal areas are exempted from paying fixed charges.

“They are required to pay only general charges such as registration fees, deposit and test report charges,” Patel told the House.

In the state budget for 2026–27, presented by Finance Minister Kanu Desai in the state Assembly, the government allocated a record Rs 24,022 crore to the Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department, making it one of the largest sectoral allocations in the state’s Rs 4.08 lakh crore overall budget for the year.

The allocation is said to strengthen farm support systems, improve rural livelihoods and boost allied activities, including fisheries and livestock.

–IANS

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