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Bihar government has taken an important decision for the agricultural electricity consumers of the state. Till now, farmers used to get electricity bills at an interval of three months, which they often faced difficulty in paying. But now, farmers using electricity for irrigation in the state will get electricity bills every month. This new system has been implemented in the entire state from July 1.

Has the old system ended?

Till now, seasonal or interval based bills were issued on agricultural electricity connections like tube wells, borewells and pump sets used for irrigation in Bihar. Many farmers used to get bills together after three months, which at times became financially burdensome.

Under the new system, monthly billing has now been made mandatory for all consumers of ‘Irrigation Agriculture Service-Category I’ (IAS-I) category. In this regard, South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) has issued strict instructions to all concerned officials and power supply units.

Government’s argument: Why was this decision taken?

The state government believes that with the implementation of monthly billing, the pressure of lump sum payment on farmers will be significantly reduced. It is easy to pay small bills. Additionally, this will also significantly reduce the chances of electricity bills remaining outstanding. The government also says that with this, electricity companies will continue to get consumption data regularly, which will bring transparency in revenue management and billing system.

There will be a direct impact on the pockets of 8 lakh farmers

More than 8 lakh electricity consumers connected to agricultural feeders in Bihar will directly come under the purview of this new system. This includes all those farmers who use electric pumpset, tube well or borewell for irrigation. At present, there is a mixed reaction among the farmers regarding this decision, where some are considering it easy, while some are worried about getting the bills every month.