17,550 free electricity connections for the poor

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 18

Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) has targeted to provide 17,550 free electricity connections to poor families under the “Mukhyamantri Roshni Yojana” in 2019-20.

HPSEBL managing director JP Kalta said the Chief Minister had announced the scheme in the Budget speech in Vidhan Sabha. On observing the trends of the previous year, the board would incur the expenditure of Rs13.16 crore. To avail benefit, one has to be eligible and certified by a competent authority.

To be eligible, a person should be a member of either of the following: the BPL family; the family covered under the “Antyodaya Anna Yojana”; priority household or whose annual income from all sources, doesn’t exceed Rs35,000. Also, the selected households load should not exceed 2 kW. “This scheme is being implemented in the state and funds for the same will come from the state government,” said the board’s spokesperson Anurag Prashar.