Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
India

AAP keeps poll promise; halves power tariff, gives free water

Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Feb, 2015 11:24 AM
    The AAP government Wednesday halved the power tariff for up to 400 units per month and said it would supply 20,000 litres of water free to Delhi's metered households from March 1 - keeping its two big-ticket poll promises.
     
    While the cut in electricity rates through subsidy will benefit over 36 lakh families - 90 percent of the domestic consumers - the free water will be provided to all the 18 lakh metered households in the capital, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters.
     
    He said after a cabinet meeting here that the power subsidy would cost the exchequer Rs.1,427 crore annually, while the free water would cost of Rs.250 crore.
     
    A consumer will have to pay Rs.2 per unit for up to 200 units a month, in comparison to the Rs.4 per unit at present, which has a subsidy of Rs.1.20 per unit.
     
    For those consuming between 200-400 units, the cost would be down from Rs.5.95 per unit to Rs.2.97. In this slab too, there is an existing subsidy of 80 paise - announced by the central government in last year's budget.
     
    However, there is a rider. The consumer will be charged full rates from zero base if the electricity consumption crosses 400 units. 
     
    This also applies to the free water consumption.
     
    "The relief in electricity bills will be provided to domestic consumers till the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) audit of private power distribution companies (discoms) is completed," a government statement said.
     
    During its last stint of 49 days in Delhi in 2013-2014, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government had cut power rates by 50 percent and made 667 litres of water per day for all metered households free. The Aam Aadmi Party had highlighted these two populist measures during its campaign in the run up to the Feb 7 Delhi elections.
     
    "The reduction in power tariff will benefit 36,06,428 families, which is around 90 percent of the domestic consumers," Sisodia said.
     
    "The people gave us an unprecedented mandate in the election. Like last time, we will do what we say. We want the burden of paying huge electricity bills off the common man's shoulder," he added.
     
    Sisodia said the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been directed to speed up the process of setting up infrastructure to provide free water to colonies which do not have pipelines. 
     
    The group housing societies will also get the benefit of free water.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Unveils His Filmstar Avatar

    Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Unveils His Filmstar Avatar
    Be it on expensive TV commercials, internet space, popular social networking sites, posters, other audio-video mediums or his followers dressed in colourful MSG attire moving around in malls - he is all over.

    Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Unveils His Filmstar Avatar

    Sunanda Murder: Tharoor Seeks Professional Probe, To Be Questioned Soon

    Sunanda Murder: Tharoor Seeks Professional Probe, To Be Questioned Soon
    A friend of Sunanda Pushkar who dropped her to the hotel where she was later found dead has been quizzed in connection with her murder and 12 more people including her husband Shashi Tharoor will soon be questioned, Delhi Police said

    Sunanda Murder: Tharoor Seeks Professional Probe, To Be Questioned Soon

    13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Ends, 15 Diaspora Members Honoured

    13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Ends, 15 Diaspora Members Honoured
    The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, attended by around 4,000 diaspora members, came to an end with the conferment of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards by Vice President Hamid Ansari to 15 prominent diaspora members.

    13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Ends, 15 Diaspora Members Honoured

    Amarinder Singh Meets Sonia, Seeks Leadership Change In Punjab

    Amarinder Singh Meets Sonia, Seeks Leadership Change In Punjab
    Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh Friday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and is understood to have sought a change ofleadership in party's state unit.

    Amarinder Singh Meets Sonia, Seeks Leadership Change In Punjab

    All PIOs are now overseas citizens of India: Government

    All PIOs are now overseas citizens of India: Government
    The government Friday announced that all Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card holders will be deemed to be Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders.

    All PIOs are now overseas citizens of India: Government

    I Was Libidinous Since School: Uber Cab Driver Tells Police

    I Was Libidinous Since School: Uber Cab Driver Tells Police
    "I was libidinous from my school days," Uber taxi driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, accused of raping a 27-year-old woman executive in his cab Dec 5 last year, told Delhi Police during the probe.

    I Was Libidinous Since School: Uber Cab Driver Tells Police