With an aim to provide relief to farmers in drought-hit areas, the Maharashtra Government will launch an amnesty scheme for power bills of water supply schemes.
This 'Panipuravatha Sanjivani Yojana' will be implemented on the lines of Krishi Sanjivani Yojana, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said after the weekly cabinet meeting.
The scheme will be launched with retrospective effect from July this year. In the first phase, the scheme will be launched in the drought-hit areas. There will be no criteria, he said.
In the second phase, it will be launched after a cabinet sub-committee submits the criteria and guidelines. The committee comprises Finance Minister, Power Minister and Water Supply Minister, the CM said.
The Krishi Sanjivani Scheme was launched in 2014, in which 50 per cent of the principal amount and the entire interest and fine is waived for agricultural consumers, who pay 50 per cent of the principal amount (as on March 31), he said.
For consumers, who don't owe any arrears (as on March 31), 50 per cent exemption in principal will be given in two quarterly bills.
Similarly, for the water supply scheme, consumers will have to pay 50 per cent of the principal amount at one time or ten equal monthly instalments. The remaining 50 per cent interest and penalty will be waived.
Beneficiaries will have to pay their electricity bills from July 2015 within a stipulated period.
The cabinet, meanwhile, decided to give extension to Krishi Sanjivani Yojna till March 31st 2016. "This will help farmers with concessions on electricity bills," Fadnavis said.
He informed that the Cabinet has decided to give concessions in power tariff to powerlooms using less than 27 HP load. The concessions are effective from June 1st 2015.
