Bhagwant Mann’s gift to Punjab ahead of his marriage: Each household to get 300 units of free electricity from today

Ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s wedding, each household will be getting 300 units of free electricity every month from Thursday. Mann said the government has also waived arrears of electricity bills pending till December 31, 2021 of all households. He said there was some confusion among people that arrears of up to 2 KW were waived but it is being clarified that pending electricity bills of all connections till December 31, 2021 have been waived by his government. The AAP government had earlier announced giving 300 units of free power to every household from July 1.

Giving 300 units of free electricity was one of the major poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party during the Punjab assembly elections. The party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal had promised free electricity up to 300 units for the state in June last year. Kejriwal had also promised waiver of pending electricity bills and round-the-clock power supply in the state.

In the month of April, CM Mann had said if electricity consumption exceeds 600 units in two months, then a consumer will have to pay for the entire power usage. But the Scheduled Castes, backward castes, below-poverty-line households and freedom fighters will be charged just for over and above 600 units, the chief minister had then clarified. Punjab has a two-month billing cycle for power supply.

There are a total of 73.50 lakh domestic consumers in the state and of which, 61 lakh families are expected to benefit from the 300 units of free electricity. In the state budget, a total power subsidy bill has been proposed at Rs 15,845 crore as against Rs 13,443 crore in 2021-22. Punjab provides subsided power to various categories and out of which, the subsidy bill on account of free electricity to the farming sector alone is around 7,000 crore.