Government defends Farmer Discom proposal

Telangana Rural Power Distribution Company Limited (TGRPDCL) Chairman and Managing Director Musharraf Ali Faruqui clarified that no metering would be introduced for agricultural consumers under the proposed Farmer Discom model.

Presenting the TGRPDCL case during discussions on the proposed Farmer Discom model, he argued that the existing Telangana discoms were under severe financial stress, with accumulated losses reaching ₹69,741 crore by FY 2025. Government departments alone reportedly owed ₹54,090 crore in outstanding arrears.

The proposal also highlighted operational inefficiencies, stating that Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses in Telangana stood at around 19.84% in FY 2025, significantly higher than the national average and neighbouring States. While Telangana recorded nearly 19.84% losses, Andhra Pradesh stood at 7.87%, Kerala at 6.61%, Karnataka at 11.92%, and Tamil Nadu at 10.96%.