Chandigarh: With the Punjab government providing free 600 units of electricity to every household, about 90 per cent of households are now getting “zero” bills.
Punjab power minister Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday said the Bhagwant Mann led government has fulfilled the promise of zero electricity bill in the very first year of their tenure. He said free 600 units of electricity bimonthly (300 units of electricity monthly) has been granted for all domestic consumers with annual subsidy benefit of Rs 5,629 crore.
Singh said this apart, subsidy of Rs 3 per unit is being given upto seven Kilo Watt for domestic consumers with annual benefit of Rs 1,278 Crore. The minister said that with this about 90 per cent households are now getting zero bills.
Singh said previous state governments lured the farmers with the free power to farmers for tubewells but the farmers were never given uninterrupted power supply due to which they had to face a lot of problems for irrigation.
He said the Mann government has not just continued free power to Agricultural consumers but for the first time ensured eight hours regular power supply during the paddy season without any power cut. In another incentive for the farmers the Punjab Government has reduced the tube-wells load enhancement fees from Rs 4750 to Rs. 2500 which resulted in benefitting 1,87,000 farmers.
—Agencies

KR Desk