DW BUREAU In a major relief to farmers desirous of enhancing the electricity load of their tube-wells, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has extended the date of the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) for enhancing load till October 23. This is for the second time, that the Punjab Government has extended the deadline, in view of the keen interest shown by the farmers. An official spokesperson of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) said that the VDS scheme was launched on June 10 for 45 days (till July 24) by slashing fees for load enhancement on tube wells from existing Rs 4750 to Rs 2500 per BHP. On July 23, the Chief Minister had extended the scheme till September 15. The Spokesperson said that as of now 1.70 lakh farmers have saved Rs 160 crore by availing the benefit of this scheme. While exhorting the farmers to take maximum benefit of the scheme, he said that those farmers who are interested in enhancing the load of their tube wells can apply for it till October 23. Meanwhile, as Punjab is predominately an agrarian economy with a large section of its population dependent on farming, CM Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has been leaving no stone unturned to maximize the profit of farmers. (editor@dailyworld.in)