Concern over free power supply to laundries, dhobighats and saloons

Concerns are mounting over delays in clearing arrears under Telangana’s free power scheme for laundries, dhobighats and hair-cutting saloons. Pending dues to discoms and lack of beneficiary expansion have raised fears over the future implementation of the welfare initiative

Hyderabad: Concerns are being raised over the free supply of power up to 250 units to laundries, dhobighats and saloons in the State, considering the delay in payment of arrears to discoms and beneficiaries covered under different schemes during the last financial year.

The previous BRS government had launched the supply of 250 free units to laundries and dhobighats operated by the washerman community from April 1, 2021. Similarly, the supply of 250 free units to hair-cutting saloons was also launched on the same day.

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Accordingly, a website was created for registering the names of beneficiaries. As many as 76,060 laundry units and 143 dhobighats from the washerman community are benefiting under the scheme.

Likewise, 36,526 beneficiaries from the Nayee Brahmin community are benefiting through the scheme for free supply of 250 units of power to saloons.

However, for the last two financial years, the Congress government has failed to clear the arrears payable to discoms towards implementation of the free power scheme.

The Telangana Washerman Cooperative Societies Federation Limited owes nearly Rs 247 crore in dues. The Telangana Nayee Brahmins Cooperative Societies Federation Limited also owes Rs 67 crore in dues.

In 2025-26, the Telangana Washerman Cooperative Societies Federation Limited was allocated Rs 150 crore in the budget. Of this, Rs 37.50 crore was released, but no expenditure was incurred. As a result, no beneficiaries were covered under the scheme during the last fiscal.

The Telangana Nayee Brahmins Cooperative Societies Federation Limited was also allocated Rs 100 crore and Rs 25 crore was released. But no hair-cutting saloons were covered.

In a few cases, a hair-cutting saloon owes Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh in dues towards the 250 free units power supply scheme. There have been instances in the past when the Energy Department threatened to disconnect power supply to laundries and saloons over the delay in payment of arrears, Most Backward Classes National Convenor K Satyanarayana said.

When the issue was taken up with the BC Welfare Department, instructions were issued to the Energy Department officials not to take any such steps, he said.

Apart from arrears, the number of beneficiaries continues to remain the same. Despite the increasing population, 76,060 laundries and dhobighats and 36,526 hair-cutting saloons remained beneficiaries, reflecting the state of affairs, he added.