Power rates for farmers in poll-bound Gujarat, led by Narendra Modi, has grown at the highest pace across consumer categories over the past five years.
Agricultural tariff in the state grew 47.2 per cent from 119.5 paise per unit in 2007-08 to 176.0 paise per unit in the last financial year (2011-12).
In comparison, rates in the domestic category grew 22.1 per cent, the commercial category by 17.3 per cent and industrial power rates by 16.1 per cent during the period, according to the Planning Commission.
This comes in the backdrop of a remark by Congress President Sonia Gandhi that Gujarat's farmers do not get electricity, but to earn hefty profits, the government is selling electricity to other states.
This is nothing but discrimination against farmers, Gandhi, currently campaigning in the state, said last week while criticising Modi's economic policies.
The agricultural power rate growth was far ahead of the average of 18.1 per cent for all categories of electricity put together in the state, according to the Planning Commission's Annual Report on the Working of State Power Utilities and Electricity Departments for 2011-12.
But