Covering 1.17 lakh domestic consumers, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on Thursday issued detailed guidelines in pursuance with the State Cabinet decision to extend the benefit of monthly 200 free power units to SC, Non-SC, BPL and BC families whose annual consumption exceeded 3000 units.
“The decision would bring back into the scheme’s cover over 1.17 lakh domestic consumers who had been taken out of its ambit with the introduction of the upper limit,” said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office adding that the move will put an additional burden of Rs 163 crores on the state exchequer.
Pertinently, the Cabinet had taken the decision to remove the upper annual limit of 3000 units for electricity consumption by SC, BC and BPL families, during its meeting on January 31 this year.
The move will benefit a total of over 17.76 lakh families comprising SC Domestic, Non-SC BPL Domestic and Backward (BC) Domestic consumers with sanctioned load up to one kilowatt. The subsidy would cost the state exchequer a total of Rs. 1253 Crores per annum.
It may be pointed out that as per tariff order of Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission on October 23, 2017, this facility of concession was withdrawn with effect from November 1, 2017, from those SC, non SC, BPL and BC consumers.
According to the circular issued, those SC, non-SC BPL, BC families eligible consumers having domestic category sanctioned load upto one KW would continue to avail electricity concession of 200 monthly free units without any condition even if the annual consumption exceeds 3000 units.
However, income tax payee SC, non SC BPL and BC consumers would not be allowed this concession.
For availing this concession, the eligible beneficiary would have to submit each year a self declaration at concerned AE/AEE/DS sub-division office of PSPCL that he or she was not an income tax payee, the spokesperson added.