While 80% of domestic consumers have benefited from the Aam Aadmi Party government’s free power scheme, the freebie has financially crippled the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
According to the fresh PSPCL data, after implementation of free power to domestic consumers (upto 300 units per month), the state finance department letter dated July 5, calculated the subsidy cost (this includes free power to agriculture sector, industry and domestic consumers) for nine months as 12, 485 crore. This roughly comes out to be ₹over 46 crore per day. The figure was calculated by considering that around 70% domestic consumers will be availing the benefit of free power. However, around 80% consumers are benefitting from the freebie, say PSPCL officials. The power corporation has already calculated the subsidy bill from April 22 to June 22 as ₹3,360 crore. The break-up comes out to be ₹2 crore per hour power subsidy to consumers or a daily power subsidy of nearly ₹50 crore approximately.
