NEW DELHI: In the peak of the summer season, Delhiites got a shock from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who announced on Thursday that the free power scheme won’t be universal any longer and well-off consumers can opt-out of the subsidy regime from October 1.
The consumers in Delhi at present get ‘zero’ power bills for up to 200 units of electricity and a subsidy of `800 on consuming 201 to 400 units per month. “People have suggested that instead of providing subsidies to financially strong households, the money be used for schools and hospitals.
Taking their demand into consideration, all consumers will be given a choice to opt-out of the subsidy or continue getting free electricity from October 1. On the basis of the choices registered, we will provide free electricity to those families who wish to seek the benefit of the scheme,” the CM said.
Even as Kejriwal announced to make free power a targeted scheme instead of a universal one, the Delhi Cabinet on Thursday approved the continuation of the subsidy wherein, 47,11,176 consumers are to benefit.
There are 58,18,231 power consumer connections in Delhi. The Delhi government provides subsidies to five broad categories of consumers: households, anti-Sikh riot victims, agricultural consumers, and lawyers whose chambers are within the court complex. The number of subsidised connections totals up to 47,16,075 consumers.
The CM’s announcement has come at a time when the power generation capacity of thermal plants is stretched in the wake of coal shortage and overall costs are going up, putting a strain on the government’s finances. The promise of free electricity was one of the biggest poll planks of the AAP in Delhi, which is believed to have propelled the party to power in 2015.
Opposition BJP, however, hit out at the AAP government accusing it of ‘betrayal’. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it was shocking that Kejriwal was promising free power up to 300 units in every state where AAP was contesting elections while withdrawing the facility in Delhi.
“It’s now clear that the Kejriwal model of free water and electricity is collapsing as the financial situation of Delhi government is crippling. Soon, we might see the end of the freebies regime in Delhi with an end to free power and water apart from an end to free bus travel too,” he added.