The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in the recently conducted Punjab Assembly elections on a tidal wave of support. At the heart of the party’s campaign for that poll was a promise — providing 300 units of power free per month for every family if the AAP was voted to power.
The announcement was made in advertisements published by the state’s information and public relations department in various newspapers on Saturday.
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It was related to a 30-day report card of the AAP government in Punjab. A formal announcement is expected to be made later on Saturday.
Giving 300 units of free electricity was one of the major poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Punjab assembly election.
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Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Thursday said in Jalandhar that “good news” would be announced on April 16.
Punjab was already providing free electricity to the farming sector. It also provides 200 units of free power to all Scheduled Castes, backward castes and the below poverty line households.
According to data available with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, the AAP’s promise of free electricity is likely to help 62.25 lakh domestic consumers out of around 73.80 lakh domestic consumers in the state.
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However, the number of consumers vary as per season — in winters they can be more in number and in summers this number can be less.
Speaking to the Indian Express, a PSPCL official reportedly said that around 62.25 lakh is the average number of consumers that have worked out based on past consumption patterns over multiple billing cycles. This, he said, works out to around 84% of the consumers who will benefit if the AAP’s promise is implemented.
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Prodded about how the subsidy will work, an official said that the Punjab government was already providing subsidy worth Rs 3998 crores to domestic consumers per annum under various categories — annual domestic subsidy to around 21.83 lakh SC/ BC/BPL consumers to the tune of Rs 1657 crores, and subsidy to consumers having load upto 7KW as per existing policy ( 64.46 lakh consumers) to the tune of Rs 2341 crores per annum. Together, these subsidies work out to around Rs 3998 per annum.
Notably, the SC/BC/BPL consumers are already given the first 200 units per month free, with electricity being charged at Rs 3 per unit less for various slabs for consumers having load upto 7 KW.
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Officials at PSPCL said that if the government does decide to provide free power to consumers whose consumption is up to 300 units per month, the total subsidy burden per annum will be Rs 5,500 crore.