Bhopal, 02 June (HS): In compliance to the announcement made by the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to give relief to the power consumers in view of the difficulties faced by them due to the Lockdown, an order has been issued by the Energy Department. This announcement will facilitate about one crore 11 lakh power consumers with a relief of approximately Rs. 1150 crore.
The Principal Secretary Energy Sanjay Dubey, has directed the Managing Directors of M.P. Power Management Company and 3 Power Distribution Companies of the state to ensure immediate implementation of the order issued in context to the concessions. As per the order issued, the recovery of fixed charges in the bills of April as well as the bills of May and June, 2020 of all the low tension non-domestic, low tension industrial consumers and high tension HV-3 consumers has been postponed. The recovery of the postponed amount without interest should be done in 6 equal installments in the bills between October 2020 and March 2021. This decision will facilitate about 12 lakh entrepreneurs with an immediate relief of about Rs.700 crore.
In this regard, Public Relations Officer Rajesh Pandey said that beneficiaries of Sambal and domestic consumers who had received electricity bills of Rs. 100 or less in April will get less than Rs. 100 bill in May, June and July also. They will have to pay only Rs. 50 per month in place of amount of electricity bill of May, June and July. This will benefit about 63 lakh beneficiaries to the tune of Rs. 100 crore.
He said, such domestic consumers, who had received electricity bills of less than Rs. 100 in the month of April, but have received or receive bills of over Rs. 100 and less than Rs. 400, they will have to pay only Rs. 100 per month in place of bill amount of May, June and July. This will benefit about 28 lakh beneficiaries to the tune of Rs. 150 crore.
He also said that more, such domestic consumers whose electricity bills were more than Rs. 100 and less than Rs. 400 in April and have received or will receive bills of more than Rs. 400 in the month of May, June and July, they will have to pay just 50 percent of the amount of the bills of the said three months. Decision will be taken after checking of remaining bill amount. With this, about 8 lakh beneficiaries will have to pay only half of the bill amount. Consumers will get a benefit of about Rs 200 crore.
Consumers will be given an additional one percent incentive on payment of April and May bills by the due date. This amount will be maximum Rs. 10,000 for low tension consumers and maximum Rs. One lakh for high tension power consumers.