Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday, 11 July 2026, addressed a foundation-stone laying and inauguration ceremony for various development works in Kekri, Ajmer district, announcing that the state government is actively supplying daytime electricity to farmers across 26 districts of Rajasthan. He reaffirmed a firm state target to extend this facility to all farmers by 2027.

Context

Speaking at the event, CM Bhajanlal Sharma said — translated from Hindi — 'Rajasthan ke 26 zilon mein kisanon ko din mein bijli dene ka kaam hamari sarkar kar rahi hai' ('Our government is providing daytime electricity to farmers in 26 districts of Rajasthan'). He added that work is progressing rapidly towards the goal of making daytime power available to all farmers by 2027. The announcement was made under the campaign hashtag #AapnoAgraniRajasthan ('Our Leading Rajasthan'), reflecting the state government's broader branding of its development agenda.

Policy Backdrop

Rajasthan's push for daytime agricultural power is rooted in a structural challenge that has long plagued rural electricity distribution: farmers have historically received power during late-night or early-morning hours when grid demand is low, making irrigation inconvenient and unsafe. The state has been implementing agricultural feeder separation — physically segregating farm-supply lines from domestic ones — under the framework of the centrally sponsored Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), launched in 2015, which provided the infrastructure backbone for such reforms.

Feeder separation, combined with the integration of solar-powered pumps and renewable energy into the grid, allows states to align agricultural electricity supply with peak solar generation hours. This reduces distribution losses, cuts subsidy burdens on state utilities, and directly benefits farmers who can irrigate fields during daylight. Rajasthan, with its high solar irradiance, is particularly well-positioned to leverage this model.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are Rajasthan's farming communities, who depend on reliable irrigation to protect crop cycles against the state's semi-arid conditions. Daytime power supply reduces dependence on diesel pump-sets, lowers input costs, and improves agricultural productivity. Rural power consumers in the covered districts also stand to benefit from a more stable and separated grid.

The broader pattern mirrors efforts across Indian states — including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra — that have pursued dedicated daytime agricultural feeders and solar pump schemes to modernise rural electricity infrastructure. CM Sharma, who took office in December 2023, has positioned power sector reform as a central pillar of the Bharatiya Janata Party government's rural development agenda in Rajasthan.

What's Next

With the 2027 deadline set as the completion target, the government's pace of district-wise rollout will be closely watched. Progress on feeder separation works, budget allocations, and tender activity for the districts not yet covered will determine whether the target is met on schedule. The Kekri event itself — combining foundation-stone layings with inaugurations — signals that infrastructure spending in Ajmer district is being accelerated as part of this broader push. Future announcements on district-level coverage milestones are expected to follow as the state moves deeper into the programme's execution phase.