Gruha Jyothi scheme: Beneficiaries to pay full bill if usage exceeds 200 units
Beneficiaries who use even one unit above 200 units not eligible for zero bill.
Hyderabad: The Gruha Jyothi scheme comes with a rider, one that could flush out a large number of beneficiaries. Contrary to the general perception that up to 200 units of power would be free for the beneficiaries, who have to be white ration card holders, it now turns out that any beneficiary who uses even one unit above 200 units will not be eligible for the zero bill.
This was clarified by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday, who said any beneficiary who consumed anything above 200 units of power would have to pay the entire bill, and not just for the power consumed after the stipulated 200 units.
According to the government order issued with regard to Gruha Jyothi, households in the State that are eligible will receive a ‘zero bill’ under the scheme for power consumption under 200 units.
The rider is that if this norm is followed, a large number of beneficiaries stand to lose the benefit even if the meter reading personnel delay the billing by even one day, which is a normal occurrence. If the beneficiary’s consumption crosses the 200-unit limit on that day, he or she will not get the zero bill and will have to pay the entire amount, thus leaving the beneficiary at the mercy of the meter reader.
According to State government data, 40,33,703 beneficiaries have been included in the scheme so far and if the 200-unit cutoff rule is followed, a large number of them either have to pay the entire bill amount or cut down their power consumption.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Saturday, Bhatti said beneficiaries who consume up to 200 units would be eligible for the scheme. “This scheme is only for those who consume less than 200 units,” he said. Those who are eligible but have not been included in the beneficiary list could approach the MPDO offices and submit fresh applications.
“We have already deputed an official at mandal offices to collect the applications. This is a continuous process and eligible people can approach the nearest MPDO office to submit their applications,” he said, adding that a few beneficiaries could not be included in the list due to errors in documents submitted by them. “They can rectify the mistakes and get their names included in the list,” he said.
Peak demand recorded on Friday
The State recorded a peak demand of 15,623 MW on Friday, the highest since the formation of the State. Last year, the State recorded a peak demand of 15,497 MW on March 30. Bhatti said there was a rise in demand for electricity in the last three months and that the government was expecting the peak demand to touch 16,500 MW in the coming days.
Accusing the Opposition of spreading false information about the shortage of power, Bhatti said his government was successfully tackling the power demand and that it managed to supply 297.21 million units on Thursday.
The BRS government supplied 200 million units of electricity in December 2022, while the Congress government supplied 207.07 million units in December 2023, he said, adding that 230.54 million units were supplied in January 2023 and 243.12 million units in January 2024. Similarly, 263.38 million units were supplied in February 2023, whereas 272.85 million units were supplied in February 2024, he said.
“Let me clarify that there is no shortage of power in the State. There is no need to worry. We are taking measures to meet the demand,” he said.
New renewable energy policy soon
The Energy Minister said the State government was working on a new renewable energy policy to increase green power in the State. “We will encourage solar, wind, hydel and pump storage plants to increase renewable energy in the State. Our aim is to make the State power surplus,” he said.
Stating that the State government would be setting up solar panels on reservoirs and canals, he said a survey was undertaken and a decision would soon be taken in that direction.
No power hike this fiscal
The Energy Minister also said there would be no power tariff hike during the current financial year. “The government has no plan to hike tariffs. We are not going to burden the people,” he said, adding that the State government had no intention to fix meters to agricultural borewells.
