PremiumCHANDIGARH : Haryana government on Tuesday announced to waive surcharge on electricity bills of tubewells.
Besides, it also announced to give relief ranging from 9 % to 45 % to plot holders of Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) under the Enhancement Recalculation Scheme, as per an official statement.
After three settlement schemes for loanee farmers of cooperative banks, the state government has now decided to provide relief to tubewell consumers having electricity connection and plot holders of HSVP, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said.
He said 6.10 lakh farmers in the state have taken electricity connection for the tubewells.
Out of this, about 2.44 lakh connections have become defaulters and an amount of ₹147 crore is outstanding towards them.
If such farmers want to pay their electricity bills, then they have to pay surcharge and the maximum surcharge amount has reached 20-25 %.
He said surcharge amount would be waived if such farmers make lump sum payment of their bills up to November 30.
Connections of farmers, which have been discontinued for less than two years for turning defaulters, would be restored, Khattar said.
About enhancement recalculation scheme, the chief minister said earlier the plot holders were not informed about enhancement by the HSVP due to which the interest on the enhancement amount increased.
He said a one-time settlement plan with 40 % rebate was launched for plot holders in July 2018.
Under it, more than 24,000 plot holders deposited ₹853 crore in the form of enhancement.
In November 2018, another scheme with a discount of 37.5 % rebate was launched under which more than 4,000 plot holders paid enhancement amount of ₹155 crore.
Still, some plot holders are remaining, who did not avail the benefit of both the schemes, he said.
The main demand of such plot holders was that recalculation of enhancements should be done in their sectors.
To reduce their burden, new rules were made and a committee was constituted for recalculation. Based on the recommendation made by this committee, recalculation of 300 sectors was to be done, of which calculation of 12 sectors has already been done, he said.
Now, the plot holders will have to deposit the enhancement amount according to this recalculation.
He said that the recalculation of each sector will be different and accordingly, the plot holders will get benefit from 9 % to 45 %.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
