The Congress party has condemned the discontinuation of the electricity bill halving scheme by the Sai government, describing it as an act of injustice towards the public. The new policy limits the scheme to only those consuming up to 100 units of electricity. This has led to a majority of the state’s consumers being excluded from the benefits. Earlier, even if the consumption was higher, the first 400 units were billed at half the rate. The Congress party is opposing this decision.
During its tenure, the Congress government introduced the electricity bill halving scheme to support electricity consumers, even amidst difficult circumstances. This benefited around 44 lakh domestic consumers in the state, resulting in savings of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 rupees per consumer over a five-year period. The earlier scheme covered almost every consumer in the state, offering halved rates for up to 400 units.
Recently, the government increased electricity prices for the fourth time. Domestic consumption saw an increase of 10 to 20 paise per unit, and non-domestic rates increased by 25 paise per unit. Agricultural pumps faced the highest rise, with an increase of 50 paise per unit. The Sai government has hiked domestic electricity rates by a total of 80 paise per unit in the last 18 months. Following the BJP government’s taking charge, the public is grappling with electricity shortages, power cuts, and low voltage. The Congress government ensured a 24-hour electricity supply, even procuring electricity from other states during the summer months to meet demand.
