NTR Jalasiri Phase II Borewell Programme
Free borewell, energisation and a motor for small and marginal farmers who have groundwater potential on their land but no borewell of their own — with solar pumpsets added through PM-KUSUM.
Run by: Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh (with NREDCAP for solar pumpsets)
- Districts covered
- 6 coastal districts
- Land eligibility
- 2.5 - 10 acres
- Energisation subsidy
- Up to ₹50,000
- Motor & accessories
- Up to ₹40,000
Overview
NTR Jalasiri was sanctioned in 2016-17 by the then TDP government to drill borewells for small and marginal farmers in six coastal districts — East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and SPSR Nellore — where groundwater recharge is adequate but many farmers still had no well of their own. Phase II alone identified over 70,000 potential new borewells across these districts, with solar pump-sets fitted wherever feasible so the running cost stays low for the farmer.
The scheme was renamed and continued in a different form as YSR Jala Kala between 2019 and 2024, but implementation slowed sharply — budgets sanctioned for those years went largely unspent, and thousands of applications from the earlier phase were left pending. Since the current coalition government took office in June 2024, reviving NTR Jalasiri has been a stated commitment, with district-level funds — ₹50 crore released to Srikakulam district alone in 2025-26 — going toward finishing the backlog of pending borewells and solar pump installations and linking new solar connections to the central PM-KUSUM Component-B scheme.
Because the programme is mid-revival, a farmer applying today may be picked up either against the older Phase II backlog or under the new PM-KUSUM-linked cost-sharing structure, so it is worth confirming with the village secretariat which track your application falls under before you count on a specific subsidy figure.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- A new borewell drilled at government cost for eligible small and marginal farmers with no existing well on their land.
- Energisation cost subsidised up to ₹50,000 by APTRANSCO; anything above that is the farmer's share.
- Motor and accessories supported up to ₹40,000, including the beneficiary's own contribution.
- Beneficiary share is capped low — 5% for SC/ST farmers and 20% for other farmers on the energisation and motor components.
- Where feasible, a solar pump-set is fitted instead of a grid-connected motor, cutting the farmer's running electricity cost, increasingly routed through the PM-KUSUM Component-B scheme.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Small and marginal farmer with 2.5 to 10 acres of land in one of the six covered districts
- Farmers with less than 2.5 contiguous acres may pool land with neighbours to meet the minimum, and apply as a group
- Land falls in a command area with confirmed groundwater potential and no existing borewell irrigation
- Land is not in a submergence zone, Lanka land, or an over-exploited groundwater village notified by the government
Not covered
- Land in submergence areas, Lanka lands, or villages notified as over-exploited for groundwater
- Farmers who already have a functioning borewell on the same land
- Applications for land outside the six notified districts
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Filled application form from the village secretariat
- Pattadar passbook (copy)
- Aadhaar card
- Site feasibility certificate for borewell drilling
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply at the village secretariat
Submit the application with your pattadar passbook copy and Aadhaar at the village secretariat; the Village Revenue Officer verifies your small/marginal farmer status and land eligibility.
- 2
Site feasibility and sanction
A site feasibility check confirms groundwater potential before the borewell is sanctioned and taken up for drilling under the district programme.
- 3
Drilling, energisation and motor fitting
The borewell is drilled, then energised (with APTRANSCO subsidy) and fitted with a motor or solar pump-set, with your share of the cost collected before or during installation.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For a pending application, a stalled drilling or energisation, or a dispute over your beneficiary share, raise it first at your village secretariat — the same office that verified your eligibility keeps the file and can tell you which phase (old Phase II backlog or the new PM-KUSUM-linked track) your case sits in.
- If the village secretariat does not move it forward, escalate through Spandana, the state's Aadhaar-linked public grievance system, either online at spandana.ap.gov.in or by calling 1902 — every complaint gets a tracking number, and you can reopen the case if you're not satisfied with how it was closed.
Frequently asked questions
I applied years ago under the old scheme name and never heard back. What do I do?
Raise it again at your village secretariat — the current revival is specifically working through the backlog of pending applications and installations from the earlier phase, alongside new ones.
Is the borewell completely free?
The drilling itself is at government cost for eligible farmers. Energisation and the motor carry a small beneficiary share — 5% for SC/ST farmers, 20% for others — on the amount above the subsidised cap.
My land is only 2 acres. Am I still eligible?
Not on your own, but you can apply together with neighbouring farmers if your combined contiguous land reaches at least 2.5 acres.
Why is my area covered but my neighbouring district is not?
NTR Jalasiri only covers six coastal districts — East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and SPSR Nellore — chosen because groundwater recharge there is adequate but many farmers still lacked a borewell of their own. Land outside these six districts is not eligible under this scheme.
How do I know if my land qualifies for a solar pump-set instead of a grid motor?
That is decided at the site feasibility stage, based on groundwater depth and whether a solar connection can be routed through the central PM-KUSUM Component-B scheme in your area — ask the field officer doing your feasibility check rather than assuming either way in advance.
Can I track whether my district has released funds for this scheme?
District-wise fund releases are announced through the district administration — for instance, Srikakulam district received ₹50 crore for the backlog in 2025-26 — so check your district's own announcements or ask at the village secretariat rather than assuming a statewide figure applies evenly to every district.
Facts checked against ntrjalasiri.ap.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.