PHAGWARA:Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Punjab Chairman and former Minister Joginder Singh Mann today termed Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under Union Power Amendment Act as anti-farmer and anti-Punjab. Talking to newsmen here today, He said through the Amendment Act, the system of subsidy being provided to the farmers by the state government is undergoing a fundamental change.
He said that the Farmers will now have to first pay the bills for agricultural motors to the power department to be eligible for the subsidy.
Only after this the state government will pay the amount paid in the account of the farmers. Named as Direct Benefit Transfer. He asked what would be the benefit to the farmers? He said that Modi government wanted to change the power act 2003 through power amendment act. The intention of the Center is to promote privatization on a large scale, especially in the power distribution sector, and to deprive the state governments of their powers. The state governments would be left with the responsibility of power distribution in small towns, cities and rural areas, which would deprive the state-owned companies of profitable areas and worsen their financial situation. Mann said that changes have also been made in the payment of subsidies through the power amendment bill.
The current system regulates the total amount of subsidy that the state governments pay to the distribution companies in monthly installments. The central government wants to change this system. This will further aggravate the problems of the farmers. He said that in the present system the regulator has to base the amount of subsidy on the level of 11 KV meters installed on about 6200 agricultural feeders and grid sub stations which makes it easier to determine the amount of subsidy. He said that with the implementation of DBT system the subsidy bill of the government could be increased where the farmers would have to pay the motor bills. In addition, PSPCL India's financial difficulties will also increase. He said that the state government was accountable to the power consumers so the Congress party would strongly oppose this bullying of the Center and he urged every state to unite in its policy of restricting the rights of the state. To protest