Despite objections raised by the planning commission of India, Andhra Pradesh government today asserted that it would continue the free power scheme for the agriculture sector for the next three years as well.

Addressing farmers at Damaragadda Tanda near here after inaugurating the fortnight-long 'Rythu Chaitanya Yatra' today, chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy sought to allay apprehensions that the government would scrap the free power scheme for the farm sector.

"In the coming three years, we will continue the free power scheme at any cost," the chief minister assured the farmers.

The AP government has been spending about Rs 4,000 crore per annum on the free power scheme that was launched in May 2004 despite the severe financial crunch faced by the state.

The planning commission had been warning the state against the continuation of the free power scheme given the precarious financial health of the state as well as its long-term ill-effects.

Even early this month during the annual plan discussions with the Chief Minister and other state officials, the Planning Commission members reportedly wanted the government to phase out the free power scheme.

Opposition parties, particularly YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, have been claiming that the free power scheme would end as the state government was not in a position to bear the costs.

Against this backdrop, the Chief Minister made the statement re-assuring farmers that free power scheme would be continued at all costs.