E-Paper
Chandigarh: MP pitches for free power, water for low-income families in UT
MP Tewari proposed that the administration seek ₹856-1,000 crore through supplementary grants later this year to reimburse CPDL, similar to models followed in Delhi and Punjab
Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has urged the Chandigarh administration to introduce a targeted welfare scheme offering 300 units of free electricity and 20,000 litres of free water to low-income households, saying savings after power privatisation make the proposal financially viable.
In a communication to the UT administration, Tewari said visits to 22 urban villages and several rehabilitation colonies revealed growing distress among urban poor and lower middle-class families struggling with rising food prices and overall living costs. Many residents, he said, are struggling to pay lease rentals and licence fees for small flats, facing cancellation notices and steep penalties.
The MP said expenditure on power and renewable energy had declined sharply after electricity distribution was privatised in February last year and handed to Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL). He said this created a fiscal space of ₹856.01 crore between FY 2024-25 and FY 2026-27 that could be redirected towards subsidised electricity.
Tewari proposed that the administration seek ₹856-1,000 crore through supplementary grants later this year to reimburse CPDL, similar to models followed in Delhi and Punjab.
On water supply, he said providing 20,000 litres free water to households earning below ₹20,000 a month would cost ₹15-20 crore, which the Municipal Corporation could bear.
