Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, 2 June, announced 200 units of free electricity for households across the state every month, starting from 1 July.
"We held a cabinet meeting today. We discussed all five promises thoroughly. We have decided that all five guarantees will be implemented in the present financial year,” Siddaramaiah said, as per news agency ANI.
While announcing the provision of 200 units of free electricity, he also said that consumers who have not paid their bills till July will have to do so.
The CM further said that the plan to provide free electricity, which comes under the state's Gruha Jyoti scheme, will depend on the yearly electricity consumption of households and that the monthly average will be calculated.
"One won’t have to pay the power bill if the final figure is below 200 units," he stated.
Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly election, the Congress had promised five "main" guarantees in their manifesto. These included 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 monthly support to the woman head of each family, 10 kg of free rice to all members of a BPL household, Rs 3,000 monthly for unemployed graduate youths and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders for a period of two years, and free public transport in buses for women.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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