Delhi residents will now have to opt whether they want subsidy on their electricity bills, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday, reported NDTV.
Currently, all consumers in Delhi get free electricity for up to 200 units every month. They get a subsidy of Rs 800 on the next 200 units.
On Wednesday, Kejriwal said that consumers will have to give a missed call on the phone number 7011311111 to opt for the subsidy, after which they will be given a form to apply.
At a press conference, the chief minister said consumers can apply for the subsidy on offline mode as well. For this, consumers will receive the form along with the physical bill, reported The Indian Express. They will then have to submit the form at the billing centre that will have a separate subsidy counter.
“Some people don’t want to free electricity,” Kejriwal said on Wednesday after announcing the decision.
The chief minister said that residents who apply for the subsidy till October 31 will receive the benefits for the month, reported PTI. “Every month people can apply for subsidy,” he added.
Kejriwal had announced the decision to make the subsidy on electricity bills optional in May, saying that several residents have told him that they were capable of paying for electricity and do not want it at a subsidised rate.
He had made the comment at a time when Delhi, like many other parts of North India, was experiencing a heatwave, due to which the demand for electricity had increased. Thermal power plants in several parts of the country were finding it difficult to meet the demand due to a shortage of coal.
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