BHOPAL: The energy department has decided to seek help from the Income-Tax Department to find out rich beneficiaries of schemes that are actually meant for poor consumers.
The Indira Grih Jyoti Scheme started by the Congress government is now proving to be a pain in the neck of the Shivraj government. Under this scheme, consumers pay Rs 100 for consumption of 100 units of electricity. Later, the limit was increased to consumption of 150 units.
This scheme had led to an enormous burden on the state exchequer. The government has to pay compensation to power companies in thousands of crores of rupees, which includes supply of electricity to farmers and such consumers at subsidised rates.
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government had launched the scheme without any riders. The scheme was meant for all who had bills within the prescribed limits. Sources confirmed that senior officials had found out a noble way to reduce the burden on the state exchequer and oust income-tax payers from the Indira Grih Jyoti Scheme. The officials of the energy department have termed this move ‘rationalisation’ of the scheme.
After this, the energy department had written to the Income-Tax Department, urging them to share the details of income-tax payers with them. The energy department would identify income-tax payers taking benefit of the Indira Grih Jyoti Scheme and would strike out their names from the list.
Officials of the energy department believe that around 10-15 lakh consumers are taking benefit of the scheme are income-tax payers. Ousting them would enable the energy department to save about Rs 1,000 crore.
The energy department has not received any response from the Income-Tax Department so far to the letter they sent them in the second week of February.
