Here's why Punjab govt's free power scheme will only benefit a section of consumers
India Today
Here are some of the reasons why the Punjab government's free electricity scheme will only benefit a subset of customers.
The Punjab government has finally announced the launch of its free power scheme. The 600 free power units will be distributed over a two-month billing cycle beginning July 1, 2022.
Domestic consumers in the general category, on the other hand, will have to pay for the free units if their consumption exceeds 600 units.
These customers will be required to pay for free units if they consume more than 600 units in a billing cycle. In other words, the government has imposed a condition on the general category of consumers.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while announcing the scheme, urged general category consumers to consume less power in order to reap the benefits of the free power units scheme.
The scheme will benefit Dalits, backward classes, and freedom fighters who already receive 200 free units and will be exempt from paying for 600 units if their consumption exceeds 601 units.
Families who live in multistorey houses with a single electricity metre will also be excluded from the free power scheme. These families will be unable to benefit from the scheme as their consumption will exceed 600 units in a billing cycle.
Opposition parties such as the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP, which had previously expressed concern that the free power unit scheme would come with a catch, have accused the government of treating general category consumers in a stepmotherly manner.
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