Free power in Punjab comes with rider

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, April 16

Fulfilling its promise made in the run-up to the Assembly poll, the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government on Saturday announced 300 units of free electricity from July 1.

Pay bill if more than 600 units used in 2 months

• 300 units/month free for all households from July 1
• Full bill if their usage exceeds 600 units in two months
• SC, BC, BPL families & freedom fighters to pay only for excess units
• Move likely to put burden of Rs. 5,000 cr on state exchequer

First major rejig: 32 IAS officers shifted

Ravneet Kaur has been posted as Special Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Cooperation, in addition to Special Chief Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs, and Principal Resident Commissioner (NRI Affairs), Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi.

Giving details, Mann said if a household consumed more than 600 units in two months, it would have to pay the full bill. He said the SC, OBC and BPL families and freedom fighters, who were earlier getting 200 units free, would also get 600 units. But if such households consumed more than 600 units in two months, they would only be charged for the additional units, he said.

The CM said tariff for industrial and commercial consumers would not be hiked and free power to the agriculture sector would continue. “The decision will benefit around 80 per cent of the families.

There are about 73 lakh domestic power consumers in Punjab, of which about 61 lakh will be benefited,” he claimed.

Mann further announced to waive bills up to 2 kW load till December 31, 2021. He said Punjab would be the second state after Delhi to provide free power to all consumers. He said Punjab despite being the power producing state was still not able to provide free/cheaper electricity to the people due to wrong agreements done by the previous governments.

“There are still some hiccups in providing cheaper and free electricity to the people such as transmission losses, coal shortage and some legal issues. We are working to sort these out,” he said.

Earlier on November 1 last year, then Congress government had slashed power tariff by Rs 3 per unit for domestic consumers having the sanctioned load up to 7kW. Up to 100 units of consumption (up to 2 kW), the power tariff was set at Rs 1.19 per unit from Rs 4.19 per unit and for 101-300 units, the tariff is Rs 4.01 and for above 300 units, the rate is Rs 5.76 per unit.

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