Kumar Bahukhandi
Representational image. Credit: Canva
15 lakh BPL families will get the benefit of the scheme as before
Raipur: The state government has made a reasonable amendment in the limit of discount given under the Half Electricity Bill Scheme. Now instead of the discount of 400 units given per month, 50 percent discount will be given on monthly consumption up to 100 units.
At present, out of 45 lakh domestic consumers in the state, about 31 lakh families (about 70%) are such whose consumption is not more than 100 units per month.
Therefore, despite this revision of the discount limit of Half Electricity Bill, these 31 lakh needy general and weaker section consumer families will continue to get the benefit of the scheme as before.
About 70 percent of the domestic consumer families of the state will continue to benefit from the Half Electricity Scheme as before.
These 31 lakh families also include 15 lakh BPL (below poverty line) families, who will continue to get the benefit of Half Electricity as they were getting before . These families will continue to get free electricity up to 30 units under the scheme, along with this, they will also continue to benefit from all other benefits of Half Electricity Bill Scheme.
The state government is committed to providing relief in electricity expenses to poor families.
The state government is giving impetus to the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Free Electricity Scheme, under which a subsidy of ₹78,000/- from the Central Government and ₹30,000/- from the State Government, totaling up to ₹1,08,000/- is being given on the installation of a rooftop solar plant of 3 kW or more capacity. A subsidy of 75% (₹90,000/-) is available on a solar plant of 2 kW capacity, so that consumers can produce more than 200 units of electricity per month.
This production is more than the maximum discount currently available under the Half Electricity Bill Scheme (200 units discount on 400 units).
Consumers with an average consumption of up to 400 units usually have electricity bills of more than ₹1000/-, which will become almost zero after the installation of the solar plant. Such consumers will move from the Half Electricity Bill Scheme to the “Free Electricity Bill” scheme, and achieve long-term savings.
Consumers will be able to earn additional income by flowing the remaining electricity to the grid in addition to the electricity produced on their own roof.
Consumers installing rooftop solar plants will be able to use the electricity produced on their roof as well as earn additional income by flowing the remaining electricity to the grid. Under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Yojana, consumers can bear the remaining 25 percent cost themselves, or can get a loan from the bank at a minimum interest rate. The monthly installment of this loan will be around ₹800/-, which is less than the current average electricity bill of ₹1000/- for 400 units.
In this way, consumers can become self-reliant energy producers in the future by reducing their monthly electricity bill. This step is not only economically beneficial, but also important from the environmental point of view.
This decision of the state government is a strong and visionary effort to provide relief to poor and middle class consumers and motivate them towards energy self-sufficiency. This scheme will lead the state on the path of clean energy, self-sufficiency and economic savings.
