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Himachal cabinet scraps free electricity scheme for tax-paying consumers
Opposition dubs move “anti-people”, while adding that the current government has now cited financial constraints as the reason to scrap the scheme.
In a surprise move, the Himachal cabinet has decided to discontinue the power subsidy scheme — providing 125 units of free electricity to all households — for all consumers falling under the tax-paying group.
The decision, which comes just a day after bypolls were held in three assembly segments, has prompted sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Notably, the scheme had been launched by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The Congress had in fact in the lead-up to the 2022 assembly polls promised to increase the free units to 300.
The current government, however, has now cited financial constraints as the reason to scrap the scheme. The move is expected to affect thousands of consumers.
While speaking about the cabinet decision, industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the electricity board did not have money to pay salaries to the employees and that the government also has to pay the liabilities of the subsidy given on electricity by the previous government.
The cabinet approved rationalising the provisions for the zero electricity bill for domestic consumers by restricting subsidy to “One Family, One Meter” and interlinking electricity connections with ration cards (Aadhar seeded).
Nod was given to do away with the entire subsidy for current and former chief ministers (CM), speaker, deputy speaker, current and former MLAs as well as MPs, chairpersons of boards/advisers, OSDs, all Class 1 and Class 2 employees of the government/corporations/boards including IAS, IPS, HPS, HAS, forest and judicial officers, all government Class A and Class B contractors and all income tax payers.
Oppn dubs move ‘anti-people’
The Opposition has come down heavily on the move, dubbing it “anti-people”.
The leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Jai Ram Thakur, strongly condemned the move, saying the Congress was known for its “dictatorial” style of functioning. “This form of dictatorship is unfortunate. The party which came to power by promising to give 300 units of free electricity before elections has snatched away the subsidy of 125 units already being given.”
He also questioned the timing of the decision, saying the fact that it came a day after the elections shows the government’s “cunning” intention.
Jobs, relief for those displaced
by Gaggal airport expansion
The cabinet, in its meeting held under the chairmanship of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, gave declaration of land acquisition and compensation to families being affected by the expansion of Kangra airport.
It also gave a nod to create and fill up 486 posts of lecturer physical education and 157 supernumerary posts of principal school cadre in the education department, while deciding to fill up 245 posts of special educators.
Creation and filling of 53 posts of different categories of fire officers and 60 posts of police personnel, 30 posts of different categories in HP Rajya Chayan Aayog Hamirpur, 30 JOA (IT) in the public works department, 27 additional posts of block development officer was also green-lit.
The Cabinet decided to regularise the services of 18 Grameen Vidya Upasaks as Junior Basic Teachers who have completed three years of service and fulfil the norms of the National Council for Teachers Education.
It decided to create the department of Cardiology in Dr. Radhakrishnan Government Medical College, Hamirpur, and to create and fill up three posts viz. professor, assistant professor, and senior resident doctor.
It accorded sanction to fill up two posts of district controller, food, civil supplies, and consumer affairs in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs through direct recruitment.
The Cabinet also decided to grant child care leave for a maximum period of 730 days to female government servants during her entire service, with a minimum disability of 40%. It also decided to continue the MoU for operating the flights between Shimla and Dharamshala for all seven days a week.
