The Delhi Government announced its power subsidy with a word of caution and a request on Wednesday.
While Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who made the announcement on behalf of his government, was quick to point out that the subsidy would extend to domestic consumption only up to 400 units, he also requested the people of Delhi to utilise power judiciously.
“Power consumption is at its peak in the summer, which is just around the corner. The government requests the aam aadmi, who will benefit from the subsidy, to ensure that his or her household consumes electricity as efficiently as possible for the sake of other users,” Mr. Sisodia said.
Currently, domestic consumers utilising up to 200 units of electricity pay Rs.4 for each unit consumed, while those consuming from 201 to 400 units are charged Rs.5.95 per unit.
Beginning March 1, the subsidy announced by the government will bring down tariffs for consumers across both these consumption slabs by half.
So, consumers falling in the first category will be charged Rs.2 per unit and those in the other Rs.3.
Not only would the subsidy, for which the government would foot a bill of Rs.70 crore for the coming month of March, stand withdrawn for consumers of units upward 400 units, they would have to pay full charges from the zero base.
There are a little over an estimated Rs.45 lakh domestic power consumers in the Capital out of whom, according to Mr. Sisodia, the subsidy would benefit 90% or as many as 36.06 lakh families.
The subsidy would continue to be provided to domestic consumers irrespective of any eventual increase in tariff announced by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).
A source said the government had already factored in an increase in tariff as per the suggestions of the DERC in the amount of Rs.1,427 crore, which the Cabinet had approved to keep the subsidy in place for the next financial year to provide relief to the residents of Delhi.
