Stating that the “politicisation of electricity is going to be disastrous,” Union power minister RK Singh said on Thursday that if the states plan to “distribute electricity for free, and if you don’t have the capacity to pay for it (to the power distribution companies), then ultimately the country will go dark”. The statement from Singh comes soon after a number of political parties recently made promises of reducing electricity tariffs, or making power completely free, for certain consumer categories in Uttar Pradesh during the run-up to the assembly elections in the state.
Power tariffs for domestic consumers were reduced by Rs 3/unit in November 2021 in Punjab, which is also nearing assembly elections.
