• Nisha Payal
• Bhagawan Singh

The category of Agricultural consumers in Rajasthan is sub-categorized into metered and flat-rate consumers. Metered consumers are levied energy charges for actual energy consumption measured using an electronic meter, whereas flat-rate consumers are charged on the basis of sanctioned HP for the connection. The claim by Jaipur Discom, that the tariff of flat-rate consumers is kept high to incentivize them to switch over to metered category, is explored for Govindgarh block of Jaipur district in Rajasthan, India. This paper is an attempt to understand, by fifty pump set farmers from Govindgarh block, if the tariff difference is really motivating flat-rate category to become metered. A financial analysis has been done to assess the disparity in electricity bills of the two categories. The analysis suggests that it is true that flat rate consumers pay more than metered customers, but this difference is marginal if lower capacity pump sets are used. Lower is the capacity lesser is the difference. This difference, flat rate consumers can easily make up by withdrawing more water and using it for commercial purposes. Non-metering of agricultural consumers is a direct incentive to waste electrical energy as well as precious ground water resource in long term.

Energy; water; agriculture; tariff

"Saving Energy is Saving Water in Agriculture – a case study of Rajasthan, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no.183-193, July-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807494.pdf

"Saving Energy is Saving Water in Agriculture – a case study of Rajasthan, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no. pp183-193, July-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807494.pdf