Cabinet nod to exemptions to electricity consumers in U'khand

The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to exemptions to be given to electricity consumers of different categories, including industries and farmers, for three months in view of the coronavirus lockdown.

Exemptions from payment of late surcharge and fixed charges for three months have been given to electricity consumers in four different categories, state government spokesman and Cabinet minister Madan Kaushik told reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

The exemptions will cause an additional burden of Rs 17.64 crore to the state exchequer, he said.

Apart from a concession of one per cent to consumers who pay their bills online, exemption from payment of late surcharge has been given to farmers in private tubewell category from April to June.

About 20,000 farmers will benefit from the decision which will cause an additional burden of Rs 64 lakh to the state exchequer, Kaushik said.

Hotels, restaurants and dhabas have also been exempted from paying the monthly fixed charges on their connections from April to June which will cause an additional burden of Rs six crore to the state government, he said.

Consumers in industrial and commercial category have been exempted from payment of fixed charges for a period of three months.

The cabinet also brought an ordinance to adopt the Centre's Crop Livestock Contractual Farming and Services Act, 2018 in order to provide a number of facilities to farmers.

A state government-appointed committee also submitted its recommendations to the Cabinet to revive the state's economy.

"The panel has suggested various measures like what should be done in the MSME or urban development sectors to put the economy back on track. The recommendations will be studied separately in detail and decisions will be taken accordingly," Kaushik said.