D K Shivakumar says Karnataka giving 5-7 hours of power to agriculture, says it’s sufficient

HYDERABAD: The Congress has once again reiterated its stand of providing electricity only for 5-7 hours of power for farmers. Speaking to the media here on Saturday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, "We are not giving 24-hours of power to everyone (in Karnataka). There is some relief for farmers. Earlier we started (this scheme). Five...six...seven hours...that is sufficient for farmers."

The party has been facing flak from the public as well as the opposition for the past several months. In July 2023, participating in TANA celebrations in America, Revanth commented that farmers who owned three acres didnt require more than 3-hours of power supply. He also said that round-the-clock free power supply to agriculture would not help.

The BRS Government was quick to react and said the Congress was against farmers welfare and that the party would plunge Telangana into darkness if voted to power.

Despite criticism, Revanth Reddy stuck to his stand and reiterated that Telangana farmers would require just three hours of power supply to irrigate an acre of land if they could run a 10hp pump set.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) took note of this and 'fact-checked' Revanth.

“I do not know if he is simply arrogant or if has ever cultivated a farm. The farmers in Telangana irrigate their lands on 3hp pump sets and the Telangana Government is giving them 24 hours of free, quality power supply. Farmers do not have the 10 hp pump sets that Revath Reddy is talking about. Who is going to buy the 10hp pumsets for them?” KCR said adding that his Government had spent Rs 200 crore to give three-phase power supply to tribal areas.

The latest comments by DK Shivakumar has more or less fortified the fear among electors that the Congress would divert the 'current' investment in the power sector by the Telangana Government if voted to power.