Voluntary Disclosure Scheme launched to enhance power load in Punjab

Chandigarh, March 8

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday introduced the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) for tubewell, commercial and residential power connections.

He said those having agriculture connections and were willing to enhance their load of tubewell connections would have to now pay Rs 2,500 per horse power as service charges against Rs 4,750 per horse power fixed by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Likewise, the security for this has also been slashed to half by Rs 200 per horse power against Rs 400 horse power earlier. The CM said for residential connections too, the VDS had been launched for enhancing the load and rates had been reduced to half. He said now up to the enhancement of load up to 2 kilowatt, rates had been reduced to Rs 225 per kilowatt instead of existing Rs 450. Similarly, for enhancement of load between 2 to 7 kilowatts, the rate had been reduced to Rs 500 per kilowatt from Rs 1,000, for 7 to 50 kilowatt, these have been slashed to Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 per kilowatt.

The CM said as per VDS for commercial consumers, the rate for enhancement of load up to 7 kilowatt had been reduced to Rs 500 from Rs 1,000 per kilowatt.