Power subsidy of Rs 4,000 crore being stolen in farmers' name: AAP

BHOPAL: Aam Aadmi Party today accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of grossly overestimating the power consumption by agricultural pumps, leading to wrong people benefiting from subsidy of Rs 4,000 crore.

"BJP government recently announced power subsidy of Rs 8,400 crore for agricultural pumps. But there is a bungling of about 1,000 crore units worth Rs 4,000 crore (in calculation)," state AAP convener Alok Agrawal said here.

The figure of Rs 8,400 crore is based on the estimate of consumption of 2,075 crore units of power, but the actual consumption by farm pumps is 1,063 crore units, he said.

"There is a gap of about 1,000 crore units worth Rs 4,000 crore in the government's estimate and actual use. This power is being stolen in the name of farmers," he alleged.

This huge amount of Rs 4,000 crore could have been used for loan waiver or other schemes for farmers which would have prevented many suicides, he said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should clarify who is benefiting from this extra subsidy, he demanded.