New Delhi, July 2 (ANI): The Delhi Cabinet on Monday gave its nod to grant a subsidy of Rs.1.00 per unit up to monthly consumption up to 200 units w.e.f. July 1, 2012, the day from which the new tariff as announced by the DERC.
This will benefit around 20 lakh domestic consumers out of 34 lakh total consumers i.e. around 59 per cent of total domestic consumers.
Further, the cabinet also decided to permit implementation of cluster buses under cluster No.6,7,8 and 9 to make number of cluster buses plying under DTC routes to 3000.
It also approved setting up a World Class Skill Centre at Jaunapur in collaboration with Government of Singapore and hike in monthly pension from Rs.1000 to Rs.1500 in respect of persons with disabilities. The Cabinet also recommended prorogation of the Budget Session of the Assembly. The decisions were taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
While speaking to the media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Dikshit said her government is fully concerned about the needs of middle class and poor families.
She said that her government has been providing substantial relief as and when required.
Delhi was the only state in the country to offer maximum subsidy of Rs.40 on LPG cylinders in 2007 onwards. It has also been providing subsidy on limited consumption of power across all sections of the society with an aim to encourage judicious use of power.
Consequent upon announcement by DERC to hike power tariff w.e.f. July 1, 2012, the government has been discussing the issue of providing relief to large number of domestic consumers.
It has since decided to again grant a subsidy of Rs.1,00 per unit up to consumption of 200 units per month. This will benefit around 59 percent total domestic consumers i.e. 19 lakh out of total 34 lakh.
The government will release an amount of Rs.222.40 crore for this purpose.
Dikshit stated that 200 units are enough to use at-least two fans for 20 hours per day, two tube-lights for six hours per day one TV for four hours per day, one refrigerator round the clock and one water pump for an hour or so.
This will consume around 200 units per month. Around 5.42 lakhs consumers under BYPL, around 8.32 lakhs consumers under BRPL and around 6.13 lakhs consumers under TPDDL will benefit with this subsidy.
Dikshit stated that subsidy will give big relief to all the low and consumers and also encourage people to conserve energy so as to come within the subsidy slab of 0-200 units per month.
Dikshit further stated that Delhi is the only city in the country and the Capital City in entire NCR where uninterrupted power supply is maintained.
Moreover, even the revised tariff is much lower than other metro cities. The minimum tariff in Gurgaon is Rs.3.8, in Kolkata Rs.3.92, in Mumbai Rs.4.86, in Bangalore Rs.4.60 (101 - 200 units), in Haryana Rs.4.50 and in Punjab Rs.4.88 (101 to 300 units) per unit.
Dikshit made it clear that her government has no role in determination of power tariff as it is the sole authority of DERC. (ANI)
