Ahead of the Assembly election later this year, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced first 100 units of electricity per month to be free for all power subscribers -- domestic or commercial.
He also announced a waiver of permanent fee, fuel surcharge and other fees on consumers using up to 200 units of electricity. No consumer will get any bill for the first 100 units of electricity consumed. Gehlot announced on Wednesday night.
Last year, Gehlot had announced providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500 to the families in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category in the state. The free electricity of first 100 units comes as another major move ahead of the elections scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
With this announcement, subscribers with 100 units will have to pay nothing as power bill while those with 200 units will have to pay Rs 503 instead of present amount of Rs 1610. While on 100 units, the subsidy is Rs 832 and subsidy over 200 units is Rs 1,107.
The Chief Minister in his late night tweet said, "After observing inflation relief camps and talking to the public, there was a feedback that there should be a slight change in the slab-wise exemption in electricity bills... The electricity bill of those who consume electricity up to 100 units per month will be zero. They will not have to pay any bill in advance. - The first 100 units of electricity will be given free of cost to the families who consume more than 100 units per month."
He further tweeted: "Keeping in mind especially the middle class people, consumers who consume electricity up to 200 units per month, first 100 units of electricity will be free, along with fixed charges up to 200 units."
The new freebie also wavied off fuel surcharge and all other charges to be borne by the state government. The moves comes in the backdrop of Congress party's recent people-centric schemes and offer of freebies which helped it win in the Assembly elections in Himachal and Karnataka.
(With inputs from IANS)
