Changing Course: Direct Benefit Transfer for Electricity and Sustainable Agriculture Practices

Over the period of time, the objective of the green revolution to ensure food security in India resulted in subsidized or free electricity supply to agriculture consumers, over-extraction of groundwater, and increased fiscal burden on state governments. Direct Benefit Transfer for Electricity (DBTE) is one of the potential solutions to address the three-dimensional interlinked challenge of declining groundwater, increasing electricity consumption and rising fiscal burden of power subsidy on agriculture.

This short film concisely captures a high success potential DBTE model and its experience sharing by consumers and the respective electricity distribution company (Discom). The key point of success in this model is incentivising the consumers to reduce their electricity consumption through the implementation of water and energy-efficient practices. The model was piloted in the rice bowl of the nation - Punjab. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and its consortium partners supported the World Bank in the successful implementation of the DBTE scheme (Paani Bachao Paise Kamao (PBPK) scheme) in Punjab.