Ranchi(Jharkhand): The Opposition took a jibe at the Jharkhand government for not not implementing the free 100-unit electricity scheme even as the state government abolished the subsidy on consumption of more than 400 units.
Earlier announcing schemes aimed at benefiting the deprived sections, the Jharkhand government said that 100 units of electricity will be provided for free to the poor and the farmers to reduce the power bill burden. Jharkhand Free Bijli Yojana is likely to directly benefit 33 lakh poor citizens and farmers of the state. For this, the state government had made a provision to provide electricity subsidy of Rs 1800 crores to the electricity consumers of the state to reduce the additional load in the amount of electricity bill. It was proposed to provide subsidy to different categories of electricity consumers in the financial year 2022-23.
Questions are being raised about not giving 100 units of electricity free till now. Asked about it, Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) General Manager PK Srivastava said it was a "high-level matter". "The priority of the government is to increase revenue. Under the scheme, consumers will get the benefit of subsidy if they consume more than 400 units."
BJP spokesperson in the state took a jibe at the government and said that "this is a government of announcements only." Expressing displeasure over the government's not being implemented what they promised during the budget session, BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdev said that "this government puts a burden on the people's shoulders".
Countering the BJP's allegation, Congress said that "the government was considering the matter and soon the public will get relief as announced." Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha advised the BJP to remember the poll promises they made to the public in the past and said that "due to this reason people are feeling cheated even today."
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