Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday, 9 August demanded that the Tamil Nadu government immediately resolve a mounting backlog of agricultural electricity connections, alleging that over 60,000 farmers who paid large deposits under the tatkal scheme have been left waiting — some for more than eight months — pushing many into debt.

Scale of the Backlog

According to Anbumani, 47,554 farmers applied under the tatkal agricultural power connection scheme announced in December last year, each depositing between ₹2.50 lakh and ₹4 lakh depending on the horsepower of their pump sets. The total deposits collected from this group reportedly exceed ₹1,250 crore.

An additional 12,566 farmers who applied under the same scheme in 2023 deposited more than ₹250 crore and are also still awaiting connections. Combined, the two groups account for 60,120 pending applicants and deposits of approximately ₹1,500 crore, Anbumani claimed.

Norms Breached, Farmers in Debt

The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) is required under its own norms to provide tatkal agricultural connections within 15 to 90 days of application, Anbumani said. He alleged that not a single connection from the latest round had been delivered even after eight months had elapsed since payments were made.

Many farmers reportedly borrowed money at high interest rates to fund the deposits, expecting electricity access within the prescribed window. The prolonged delay has prevented several from cultivating effectively during the Kuruvai season, leaving them burdened with mounting debt, he alleged.

Why Irrigation Power Matters in Tamil Nadu

Anbumani underscored that about 45 per cent of Tamil Nadu's agricultural land depends on groundwater, while the remaining 55 per cent relies on rivers and canals whose flows are often contingent on water releases from neighbouring states. This context, he argued, makes uninterrupted electricity for pump sets non-negotiable for sustaining cultivation across large parts of the state.

He also noted that more than four lakh farmers across Tamil Nadu are currently awaiting free agricultural electricity connections in total — a figure that dwarfs the immediate tatkal backlog and points to a systemic supply constraint.

PMK's Demand

Calling the situation a 'serious injustice to the farming community,' the PMK chief demanded that the state government intervene at once and direct TNPDCL to expedite connections for all 60,120 pending tatkal applicants. He accused both the government and the utility of failing to honour their commitments to farmers who had acted in good faith by depositing large sums.

With the Kuruvai season already disrupted and interest costs accumulating, the pressure on the Tamil Nadu government to respond is likely to intensify in the coming weeks.