Restore 2018 power subsidy scheme: Cong MLA to govt

Congress MLA from Kalanwali Shishpal Keharwala has urged the Haryana Government to restore the 2018 electricity subsidy scheme that benefited poor households. Keharwala said, under the 2018 plan, introduced by the previous BJP government, consumers with pink and yellow ration cards, and permanent defaulters, were billed according to kilowatt usage.

The scheme did not include any conditions related to income or electricity consumption limits. He said the present BJP government had modified the scheme, introducing new conditions that restricted benefits. Under the new rules, Scheduled Caste and Below Poverty Line (BPL) consumers must have an annual income below Rs 100,000 and electricity consumption under 1,800 units per year to qualify for relief.

The MLA said these changes had made it difficult for poor, marginalised families to continue receiving affordable electricity. By imposing income and consumption limits, the government had effectively placed low-income consumers under the same regulations as general-category households, he added. He said the new restrictions had created “serious hardships” for the poor, and had undermined the original purpose of the programme to support the most vulnerable electricity consumers.

He appealed to the Haryana Government to withdraw the new rules, and immediately reintroduce the 2018 plan to ensure that poor and disadvantaged families continued to receive power subsidies.