Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 1
In a major relief to the common man, CM Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab Government on Monday slashed power tariff by Rs 3 per unit with immediate effect for domestic consumers having sanctioned load up to 7 KW. This will benefit 69 lakh domestic consumers out of 71.75 lakh consumers.
The populist decision which will put an annual financial burden of Rs 3,316 crore on the state comes ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled early next year.
Dearness Allowance hiked by 11%
The Cabinet on Monday enhanced the DA by 11% from the existing 17% to 28% with effect from July 1, entailing monthly burden of Rs440 cr on the state exchequer.
The state Cabinet that met today also enhanced the dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners by 11 per cent from the existing 17 per cent to 28 per cent with effect from July 1, 2021. After the meeting, the CM said the Cabinet decided to rationalise the power tariff after much deliberation. He clarified that the existing free power facility for up to 1 KW to the SC, OBC, BPL categories would continue.
No more costly power
We have stopped buying power from GVK thermal power plant in Goindwal Sahib, which sold it at Rs6 to 7 per unit. We have been offered Rs2.38 per unit in the open market. —Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab CM
“The state government will reduce the power procurement cost and pass that on to the consumers. The power tariff in Punjab will be the cheapest in the country,” the CM said. The first 100 units of power will be charged at Rs 1.19 per unit for domestic consumers with sanctioned load up to 2 KW. After that, consumption between 100 and 300 units will be billed at Rs 4 per unit. For more than 300 units, Rs 5.76 per unit will be taken. Likewise, for load between 2 and 7 KW, the first 100 units will be charged Rs 1.49 per unit. The rebate will be applicable between zero and 7 KW of power.
The CM said: “We have stopped buying power from GVK thermal power plant in Goindwal Sahib.” The CM said Rs 3,316 crore would be spent on power subsidy per annum. This is in addition to the subsidy being given to the agriculture sector, he added. “Twentyone lakh domestic consumers are already getting free power up to 200 units,” he said.
To benefit the medium scale industries, the government has already reduced the fixed charges by 50 per cent. This will benefit 35,000 medium scale units and the state will bear Rs 150 crore.
Punjab slashes power tariff by Rs 3 per unit
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