Gandhinagar, April 22 (IANS) The Gujarat government has introduced reforms on Tuesday to simplify the process of obtaining agricultural electricity connections.
The new rules aim to ease the difficulties faced by farmers – especially those in tribal and rural areas – when applying for power supply for farming purposes.
Until now, farmers applying for new agricultural electricity connections were required to submit consent letters from all co-owners listed in the 7/12 land extract on notarised stamp paper.
This condition often created hurdles, particularly in tribal regions where land ownership is commonly shared among multiple heirs but not formally partitioned in revenue records.
Many farmers, despite having internal arrangements, struggled to get the necessary documentation in order.
Recognising this challenge, and following representations from legislators and farmer groups, the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has amended the regulation.
As per the new provision, applicants will no longer be required to submit consent from co-owners. Instead, a self-declaration by the applicant on notarised stamp paper will now be accepted as valid.
Energy Minister Kanubhai Desai, who announced the changes, said the move reflects the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
Additionally, a second important amendment has also been made: even if multiple co-owners are listed in the 7/12 extract, each of them will now be eligible to receive a separate electricity connection – regardless of the size of their landholding – provided their name is listed on the record, they have a separate water source like a well or bore, and they submit a clear map showing individual land boundaries.
However, the new rule also states that each co-owner will be eligible for only one electricity connection per survey number in their name. This farmer-friendly reform, the government said, is a direct response to repeated appeals from MLAs and farmers who have long struggled with the cumbersome electricity connection process.
–IANS
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