PSPCL guidelines on free power to SC,BC & BPL families

In pursuance with the decision of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Cabinet to extend the benefit of monthly 200 free power units to SC, Non SC, BPL and BC families whose annual consumption exceeded 3000 units, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on Thursday issued detailed guidelines in this regard.

According to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office, the decision would bring back into the scheme’s cover the over 1.17 lakh domestic consumers who had been taken out of its ambit with the introduction of the upper limit. The move will put an additional burden of Rs. 163 Crores on the state exchequer.

Pertinently, the Council of Ministers had taken this decision to remove the upper annual limit of 3000 units for electricity consumption by SC, BC and BPL families, during its meeting on January 31 this year.

The move will benefit a total of over 17.76 Lakh families comprising SC Domestic, Non-SC BPL Domestic and Backward (BC) Domestic consumers with sanctioned load upto 1 KW. The subsidy would cost the state exchequer a total of Rs. 1253 Crores per annum.

It may be pointed out that as per tariff order of Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission on October 23, 2017 this facility of concession was withdrawn with effect from November 1, 2017 from those SC, non SC, BPL and BC consumers.

According to the circular issued, those SC, non SC BPL, BC families eligible consumers having domestic category sanctioned load upto 1 KW would continue to avail electricity concession of 200 monthly free units without any condition even if the annual consumption exceeds 3000 units.

However, income tax payee SC, non SC BPL and BC consumers would not be allowed this concession. For availing this concession, the elegibe beneficiary would have to submit each year a self declaration at concerned AE/AEE/DS sub division office of PSPCL that he/she was not an income tax payee, the spokesperson added.