Patna. Bihar government has implemented an important change for electricity consumers associated with the agriculture sector. Now the farmers using electricity for irrigation in the state will get the electricity bill every month instead of every three months as before. This new system has been implemented from July 1 and will affect about 8 lakh agricultural electricity consumers in the state.
The government believes that monthly billing will reduce the pressure of lump sum payment on farmers and regular monitoring of electricity consumption will also be possible. However, different opinions are emerging among farmers regarding this decision.
Seasonal billing is over, now electricity bill will come every month
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 electricity bills together after about three months.
Under the new system, monthly billing has been made mandatory for all consumers of Irrigation Agriculture Service–Category I (IAS-I) category. After this, the bill will be issued every month on the basis of electricity consumption. In this regard, South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) has also issued necessary instructions to all concerned officials and power supply units.
What is the purpose of government?
The state government says that with the implementation of monthly billing, farmers will not need to deposit large amounts at once. Having small bills will make payment easier and the chances of electricity bills remaining outstanding will also be less. Along with this, electricity companies will also get the consumption records regularly, which will make the revenue management and billing system more transparent.
About 8 lakh farmers will be affected
More than 8 lakh electricity consumers connected to agricultural feeders in Bihar will come under the purview of this new system. These include farmers who use electric pumpset, tube well or borewell for irrigation. The government believes that by implementing monthly billing on such a large scale, the electricity system will be operated in a better way.
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