Update till: 30 March 2024
-- Punjab Govt formed on : 16 March 2022
-- Free Power started on : 1st July 2023 (Within 3 months of coming to power)
Even General Class benefits: First time in India got 300 units per month FREE
“It’s a big relief. Electricity is essential. Under the previous governments, it was a challenge for us to pay the bill as it was almost ₹2,000 a month in summer and ₹1,000 a month in winter. We haven’t paid a single bill since July 2022,” said Kanti (54) from Mandiala, a remote village in Amritsar district[1]
¶ RIGHT To Lifeline POWER[2]
- 300 Units per month free in Punjab
- Total 600 Units for 2 month bill cycle Free in Punjab
Automatic Subsidy: No Applications, No calculations
Universal, for All: No Caste certificates, No income certificates
¶ IMPACT
97+% Families in Punjab got ZERO bills in Dec 2023[3]
| Month | Zero Billed | Subsidy Benefited[4] |
|---|---|---|
| April 2023 | 90+% | 97.7% |
| May 2023 | 86.4% | 97.1% |
| June 2023 | 78.1% | 96.7% |
| July 2023 | 68.4% | 96% |
| Aug 2023 | 61.8% | 95.7% |
| Sept 2023 | 60.9% | 95.6% |
| Oct 2023 | 73.7.9% | 96.2% |
| Nov 2023 | 87.1% | 97.5% |
| Dec 2023[3:1] | 97+% | - |
| Jan 2024[5] | 89.6% | - |
| Feb 2024[5:1] | 88.16% | - |
| Mar 2023[5:2] | 89.76+% | - |
¶ Still power surplus, No Power cuts
- Highest ever 15325 MW demand met in Punjab on 23 June 2023, without power cuts[6][7]
- Last year the maximum power demand in Punjab was 14311 MW[7:1]
- PSPCL sets new record of 3435 Lakh units power supply in a day on June 24 2023[7:2]
- This is 91 lakh units more than the previous year's record[7:3]
- PSPCL sells ‘surplus’ power worth 280 crores even in June, peak month of the year[8]
¶ Electricity for Farmer
¶ Did Punjab Govt make subsidy payments?[9]
- Yes, All subsidy payments of 20,000 crores made by govt already
- Also paying pending dues 9000 crore of previous congress government to PSPCL in installments[10]
| Party in Power[10:1] | Time in Power | Unpaid Power Subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| AAP | 2022-Now | Rs 7216 crores (1804 crores paid every year) |
| Congress | 2017-2022 | Rs 9020 crores |
| Akali | 2012-2017 | Rs 2342 crores |
¶ During Congress rule(2021)
- Industry used to be shut down due to power shortage[11]
- Govt Offices cut work hours amid power shortage[12]
- And let's not even mention powercuts for both Urban & Rural areas[13]
References:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/two-years-of-aap-govt-free-power-powers-populism-in-punjab-101710531154808.html ↩︎
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/80-consumers-benefitted-from-aap-s-free-power-scheme-punjab-minister-101659638681835.html ↩︎
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/power-debt-piling-up-in-punjab-97-getting-subsidy-this-winter-579756 ↩︎ ↩︎
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/105974526.cms ↩︎
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/nearly-90-domestic-power-users-in-punjab-get-zero-bills-101711741289722-amp.html ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/pspcl-meets-record-demand-without-power-cuts-8681800/ ↩︎
https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=167033&headline=PSPCL-sets-new-record-of-3435-LU-power-supply-in-a-day ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/pspcl-sells-‘surplus-power-worth-280-crores-in-june-213293 ↩︎
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/govt-clears-20k-crore-subsidy-bill-of-pspcl-494888 ↩︎
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjab-tells-large-industries-to-shut-operations-till-july-10-to-overcome-power-shortage-279036 ↩︎
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/punjab/story/punjab-govt-offices-major-power-crisis-electricity-1822877-2021-07-02 ↩︎
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-power-problem-for-capt-govt-7374814/ ↩︎
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/punjab-power-crisis-2-day-shutdown-for-industry-7385188/ ↩︎
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/punjab-power-crisis-power-cuts-imposed-power-plants-reduce-capacity-due-to-coal-shortage-2569853 ↩︎
