All pending agri power connections in AP to be cleared by month-end

Vijayawada: In a major relief to farmers, the state's power distribution companies have decided to clear all pending applications for new agricultural electricity connections by the end of this month and make them operational within two months. The move is expected to benefit thousands of cultivators awaiting power supply for irrigation. Discoms have drawn up a time-bound plan to approve 46,113 applications across the state, following government directions to prioritize grounding of connections by procuring essential infrastructure materials.Energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar said the backlog was largely due to shortages of transformers, poles, and related hardware. "We directed the discoms to place orders worth around ₹250 crore for procurement. Tenders and supply arrangements are being fast-tracked to avoid further delays," he noted.He alleged that during the previous YSRCP regime, nearly 50,000 applications were left pending. "By the time the coalition government assumed office, thousands of farmers were waiting. Since then, discoms have sanctioned 1.12 lakh agricultural connections, including the backlog," he said. With these additions, the total number of agricultural service connections has risen to 22.30 lakh.However, fresh applications submitted since January 2025 remain pending in several circles. Norms require connections to be released within two months of application, but delays in inspections, estimates, and execution—partly due to shortage of Assistant Engineers—have slowed progress.Transformer stocks remain inadequate. Data show availability of 25 kVA transformers at 7,382 in EPDCL, 266 in CPDCL, and just 88 in SPDCL. Officials estimate at least 10,000 more transformers will be required to clear pending applications and meet future demand.Minister Ravi Kumar directed discoms to adhere strictly to timelines. "We instructed them to bring all pending agricultural connections online within two months. Materials are being arranged, and estimates are being sanctioned without delay," he said.The initiative is expected to ease farmers' burden ahead of irrigation cycles by ensuring reliable and timely power supply for agricultural operations.