The tweaking of the Gruha Jyothi guidelines will put an additional annual burden of at least ₹35 crore on the state exchequer.
The new norm will address the concerns of beneficiaries who consume very little electricity, said Minister for Power KJ George. (South First)
The Karnataka government has decided to alter the Gruha Jyothi scheme to allow households to utilise 10 additional units of power beyond their average consumption.
The government’s decision, made on Thursday, 18 January, is expected to benefit 50 lakh people, who have registered for the scheme. Under the fresh guidelines, the beneficiaries can utilise an additional 10 units of electricity instead of 10 percent.
“Several beneficiaries utilise very little power like around 20 to 28 units. As per the existing norms of a 10 percent cap, the beneficiaries are entitled to get up to three units of free power. The new norm will address the concerns of beneficiaries who consume very little electricity,” Minister for Power KJ George told reporters.
The scheme, aimed at providing free electricity of up to 200 units, was launched at Kalaburagi on 5 August 2023. As many as 1.65 crore people have registered for the scheme. The state government has earmarked ₹13,910 crore for the scheme this financial year.
Minister George proposed the alteration at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. After considering the complaints raised by the beneficiaries, especially by the rural populace, the Cabinet approved the tweaking of the scheme.
ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯ ಅವರ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ನಡೆದ ರಾಜ್ಯ ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆಯ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ರಮುಖ ನಿರ್ಣಯಗಳು.#CabinetDecisions pic.twitter.com/1CCkjlBRS4
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) January 18, 2024
“Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, we take one year’s average reading of the electricity meter of every beneficiary and set a 10 percent additional limit. We provided free electricity to them,” George said.
“There are several people who use very little electricity. Among them, several utilise mere 20 to 28 units, and according to the earlier norm, they could get three additional units free of cost,” he said.
“Those who consume less than 48 units will benefit from this new norm as they can utilise up to 58 units. This will be applicable from the next billing date, which is from February. This new norm will become a burden to the government but it will help the poor,” the Minister further said.
“As many as 1.65 crore people have registered for the Gruha Jyothi scheme till date. Among them, on an average, 1.52 crore will get free electricity supply every month,” Electricity Department sources said.
The new norm is expected to benefit at least 50 lakh beneficiaries in the state.
“After the implementation of the scheme, the state average unit consumption per month stands at 53 units. It is very less in rural areas, where the average stands around 20 to 30 units,” an Energy Department official told South First, requesting anonymity.
“With the earlier 10 percent norm, the rural beneficiaries used to get only 2 to 3 units of additional free electricity. The department received several complaints regarding this from the rural areas,” he further said.
“To address their concerns, the department proposed the change in the norm. The Cabinet approved the proposal. The beneficiaries can now utilise an additional 10 units of free electricity,” he added.
However, if the beneficiaries consume power above the ceiling of 200 units, they will have to pay for it.
The tweaking of the Gruha Jyothi guidelines will put an additional annual burden of at least ₹35 crore on the state exchequer.
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