ISLAMABAD, May 3: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has allowed payment of fee for electricity connection to agricultural tubewells in three instalments, sources in the utility told Dawn.

The facility would be available to both new tubewells as well as those whose power supply had been cut on non-payment of dues, these sources said.

The connection would be provided on payment of first instalment and the remaining amount would be payable in two monthly instalments. Under normal procedure, electricity connections are restored on full payment of arrears coupled with late payment surcharge.

This has been conveyed to all distribution companies by Wapda head office, Lahore, and the decision would be formally announced next week, the sources said.

The Wapda companies had disconnected power supply to tens of thousands of agricultural tubewells, mostly in the Punjab, due to non-payment of arrears.

The relief for restoration of power connections is aimed at mitigating the negative impact of water shortage, ranging from 33 per cent to 54 per cent in the current crop season. The government believed the country might not be able to achieve its crops target unless disconnected tubewells were provided with some relief.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf during his referendum campaign had already restored flat rate to agricultural tubewells.

The government has also directed installation of 10,000 new tubewells in all the four provinces, including 5,000 in the Punjab, 3,000 in Sindh and 1,000 each in the NWFP and Balochistan.

The ministry of food and agriculture has also proposed rotation schedules for improved operational management of canals under water shortage conditions besides shifting from rice to cotton crop in areas suitable for cotton crop.