The Punjab Cabinet led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday gave its approval to the government policy to provide 600 units of free power to every household per bi-monthly billing cycle in the state with effect from July 1, 2022.
A spokesman of the chief minister’s office said that all the domestic consumers in the state would be eligible to get zero bills if their consumption is up to 600 units in every billing cycle.
The scheme, which was one of the important pre-poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, which was in grave financial crisis, is being seen as a reprieve to the domestic consumers who had to hitherto shell out huge money every month in form of power tariff.
As per the Mann government decision, the scheduled caste (SC), non-SC below poverty line (BPL) and Backward Class (BC) domestic consumers who are currently eligible for free 400 units (per billing cycle) of power would also get a subsidy of 600 units now.
Likewise, the freedom fighters and their successors (up to grandchildren) domestic consumers who are currently eligible for free 400 units of power would also get a subsidy of 600 units per billing cycle.
In case, the consumption of SC, non-SC BPL, BC and freedom fighter categories exceeds units per billing cycle then they would pay only for units consumed in addition to 600 units along with full fixed charges, meter rentals and government levies as applicable.
Similarly, the Cabinet also gave a green signal for waiving off pending arrears of all the domestic consumers as of December 31, 2021, and unpaid up to June 30, 2022. This move would give relief to around 28.10 lakh domestic consumers with a total benefit of Rs 1298 crore, the spokesman said.
