Basavaraj Bommai announces power subsidy for coffee growers

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday announced power subsidy for pump sets used by coffee growers.

Karnataka is the largest coffee producer in India. In spite of that, coffee growers were not included in the government's scheme for electricity subsidy in the farm sector.

Bommai told the Assembly said the government would soon come up with regulations for the subsidy. "We have no problem in giving subsidy up to 10 HP for coffee growers. However, we do not want it to be misused. So, we'll come up with some guidelines," he said.

The issue was raised in the Assembly by MLAs Appachu Ranjan and AT Ramaswamy. The lawmakers demanded that coffee growers, too, must get electricity subsidy up to 10 HP for irrigation pumpsets, on the lines of what is being given to other farmers. "Coffee growers are being levied electricity charges on par with commercial consumption. This must stop," said Ranjan, the MLA of Madikeri, which is home to many coffee plantations.

Chikmagalur MLA CT Ravi also chipped in with the demand. "It is not right to discriminate among farmers. There is some assumption that coffee growers are very wealthy. Gone are those days. The growers are struggling for survival at present," he said.

To this, Bommai said coffee was not included under subsidy as it is considered as a commercial crop. However, the government will include these farmers, too, for electricity subsidy, he assured.

In the upcoming 2022-23 fiscal, Karnataka is estimated to spend Rs 9,419.12 crore on power sector subsidy, most of which goes to farmers.

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