Farmers using phones can pay power bills: Khadse

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse came under fire from all quarters for his remark that farmers using mobile phones can pay their power bills even as the Congress on warned the state is heading for drought — worse than what was experienced in 1972.

The current situation is a big test for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who already faces criticism and allegations of not having adequate majority in the Maharashtra Assembly. The present agrarian scenario would be a matter of debate during the winter session in Nagpur, slated to start on December 8.

“They (farmers) pay their mobile bills month after month because they do not want their phone connection to get disconnected. They know if their phone gets disconnected, they will not be able to speak to anyone...Right?.. If they have money to pay their mobile bills, then why they do not have money to pay their electricity bills? They should make it a habit to pay bills and loans,” Khadse was quoted as saying in a press conference at Akola in Vidarbha region.