CHANDIGARH : In a populist move, the Punjab government has decided to extend the benefit of 100 units per month of free electricity to 15 lakh families, instead of the present 10 lakh families. The move ahead of Vidhan Sabha elections is being seen as another shot at power politics, which even the predecessor government had indulged in just before the previous elections.
The SAD-BJP government has been playing the power card ever since it resumed this term’s office. After coming to power the SAD BJP government increased the power subsidy for dalits and BPL families from 100, announced by the earlier Capt Amarinder Singh government, to 200 units per month.
However, a little after mid term,the much hyped Sukhbir Kalia committee, set up by the government to suggest ways of generating revenue, recommended that the subsidy should be reduced to 100 units per month. This was implemented in January last and was expected to keep the bloated bill of Rs 366 crore in check.
Now,with elections just round the corner and the of conduct likely to be announced anytime soon, the SAD-BJP government on Saturday decided to revert to its old policy of appeasing the electorate by giving 200 units of free power per month.
Though,this may augur well for the landless labouers and slum dwellers but for the Punjab State Power Coporation Limited this has only spelt more trouble. It is believed that the state government has failed to pay November’s subsidy due to PSPCL on account of free power to farmers.
Director PSPCL KD Chaudhary told TOI: “We received subsidy till October. In November it was expected by the third week but has still not reached. There was agitation by employees in the intervening period.” Chaudhary said that it was premature to comment on the hiked subsidy.
” There has never been a ceiling on the number of beneficiaries under the subsidy. How can we decide the number, it is up to the government, we just provide the service,” said Chaudhary.
Sunil Jakhar,Congress MLA from Abohar,who had taken up the issue in the Assembly said: ” It is really odd that they should be talking about giving subsidy when in fact they had taken away the subsidy which Amarinder government had given. These are desperate efforts of a desperate government.”
News Source: Times of India
