Himachal Pradesh Financial Crisis: CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Urges Well-Off Consumers To Give Up Electricity Subsidy
Date
1/2/2025 10:14:31 PM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has voluntarily given up the subsidy on all five electricity meters registered in his name. Sukhu submitted the required form to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Chairman Sanjay Gupta and urged well-off residents of the state to follow suit.
The move comes amid financial crisis in the Congress-ruled state . The Chief Minister emphasised that affluent citizens with multiple electricity meters should relinquish subsidies to support the development of the state.
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The CM encouraged well-off consumers to voluntarily waive their subsidies through the electricity online portal of the board, by calling helpline numbers 1100 or 1912, or by visiting their nearest electricity sub-division.
₹200 crore benefit
The Chief Minister's appeal aims to benefit the state electricity board by ₹ 200 crore. The board is struggling financially, with a debt of ₹90,000 cror , according to reports.
The Chief Minister said that all Cabinet members and Congress MLAs in the state have agreed to forgo their subsidies following discussions. He said that the government spends ₹2,200 crore annually on electricity subsidies and ₹200 crore monthly on salaries and pensions of electricity board employees. He said subsidies should be reserved for the needy, and well-off individuals must contribute to building a more just society.
The Congress government is reviewing subsidies introduced by the previous BJP government to address the financial crisis. The state government has already begun reversing some after assessing their financial impact. The state has also identified 14 subsidies benefiting hotels and large commercial establishments for rationalisation.
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Sukhu reiterated the vision of the state government for making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant and making all possible efforts to reform the system, which has led to a gradual revival of the state's economy, according to a release.
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