Gandhinagar, February 28 – The Gujarat government has provided 4,555 new agricultural power connections in the Bhavnagar district over the past two years, with an expenditure of ₹66.85 crore (₹6,685 lakh), the Assembly was informed on Saturday.
Responding to a question in the Legislative Assembly, Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel said that the state is committed to providing affordable and quality electricity to support the economic upliftment of farmers.
“The state government is firm in its resolve to provide cheap and quality power to farmers for their economic advancement,” he said.
Patel outlined the cost structure of the new connections, stating that the average expenditure for a single agricultural power connection is ₹1.73 lakh.
This includes infrastructure such as poles, lines, transformers, and the High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS).
“For this amount, farmers are required to pay only a nominal charge based on the sanctioned load. The remaining cost is borne by the state government, which pays the subsidy directly to the power companies,” he said.
He added that the connections were granted under various government schemes aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure and expanding access to electricity for irrigation and other farm activities.
The minister also detailed the concessions extended to specific categories of beneficiaries.
As part of the state government's policy, farmers belonging to the Scheduled Caste category and those residing in tribal areas are exempted from paying fixed charges.
“They are required to pay only general charges such as registration fees, deposit, and test report charges,” Patel told the House.
In the state budget for 2026–27, presented by Finance Minister Kanu Desai in the state Assembly, the government allocated a record ₹24,022 crore to the Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Department, making it one of the largest sectoral allocations in the state's ₹4.08 lakh crore overall budget for the year.
The allocation is said to strengthen farm support systems, improve rural livelihoods, and boost allied activities, including fisheries and livestock.
