Ahead of the Rajasthan assembly elections, a war has once again broken out between the BJP and the Congress over electricity rates. State Leader of the Opposition, Rajendra Rathore slammed Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his “election gimmick” and said people will not be fooled by sudden announcements made by a party which has looted them for years.
His remarks came after Gehlot waived electricity charges for the first 100 units for all households, irrespective of their total consumption per month.
Rathore sarcastically complimented the Chief Minister for his “excellent timing”, calling him ‘Ghoshana-veer’ (expert in announcements). He said Gehlot was so moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “energetic address” in Rajasthan that the chief minister was forced to make a “late-night relief announcement”.
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“After looting the public for four and a half years, your sudden announcement of waiving fuel surcharge and other charges on electricity bills as soon as the election year approaches, will not fool the public. There is a flaw in both your policy and intention.
“This is the limit. The Congress government, which charged an average of 55 paise per unit fuel surcharge from electricity consumers for four and a half years, is now doing the gimmick of waiving fuel surcharge up to 200 units.
Comparing the fuel surcharge during the previous BJP government, Rathore said that before 2019 the rates were just 18 paise per unit on an average.
The Leader of Opposition said, “When the entrepreneurs are on strike due to the increase in fuel surcharge, why are the industrial units not waiving the fuel surcharge?”
Rathore said that before the Chief Minister’s announcement comes into effect, the government should at least pay the outstanding amount to the power companies in lieu of the subsidy given to the consumers.
“Before declaring the rate, you should at least pay the outstanding amount of Rs 15 thousand 180 crores towards the subsidy given to the power consumers to the power companies. Discoms are facing a loss of about 1 lakh 20 thousand crores and for subsidy expenditure, power companies have to take a loan of 60 thousand crores from banks every year, whose interest is also about 6,500 crores annually. It would be better if the government pays them first and then makes an announcement.
Rathore further said that the public will get the benefit of the reduced electricity bill only when it consumes it. He claimed that electricity consumers in urban and rural areas of the state were forced to bear the brunt of undeclared power cuts for several hours.
“It would have been better if you had announced some relief regarding corruption in costly power purchase, coal purchase and turnkey projects involving farmers. It would have been better to say something about when the announcements made to give electricity to farmers in two blocks a day and to form a new agricultural electricity distribution company will be fulfilled.
Ashok Gehlot’s late night discount
On Wednesday, Gehlot had tweeted, ‘First 100 units of electricity will be given free of cost to families consuming more than 100 units. That is, no matter how much the bill comes, they will not have to pay any electricity charge for the first 100 units.
The Chief Minister said that keeping in mind the middle class people, those who consume up to 200 units of electricity per month will be given the first 100 units free of cost. Also, fixed charge, fuel surcharge and all other charges will be waived on consumption up to 200 units.
According to sources, electricity charge has to be given between 100 to 200 units only. Gehlot made this announcement on the basis of the feedback received during inflation relief camps, in which registration is being done for 10 schemes including free electricity scheme.
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan said in a tweet that those who consume up to 100 units of electricity per month will have zero bill and they will not have to pay any bill as before. Gehlot had announced free electricity up to 100 units per month in the budget earlier this year. Assembly elections in Rajasthan are due later this year.