Tamil Nadu Timeline

AgricultureDMK-AIADMK alternation

Free electricity for farmers announced

· Chennai

The DMK government announced free power for agricultural pump sets, extending a 1984 scheme for small and marginal farmers to all farmers.

The AIADMK government had introduced free electricity for small and marginal farmers in 1984. On 17 November 1990 Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi announced that free power would be given for agricultural connections, followed by a government order covering about 12.4 lakh farmers. The policy made Tamil Nadu one of the first states to provide free farm electricity broadly. It became a lasting feature of the state's agricultural policy and a significant cost for the state electricity board.

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