Mumbai, August 19: In a major sop for an estimated 1.14 crore households in Maharashtra, the state government will bear the cost of "additional units" of power consumed in the total lockdown months, as per reports. The bonanza, if implemented, would cost the exchequer an amount of Rs 1,071 crore. Raj Thackeray Warns Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Over 'Power Bill Shocks', Seeks Intervention to Resolve Issue.

Top official sources told The Indian Express that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is considering to relieve the burden of middle and lower class, who are reeling under alleged inflated bills for the months in which the total lockdown was imposed.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the Finance portfolio, reportedly held a meeting with Energy Minister Nitin Raut last month to discuss the subsidy package. The consumers would be asked to pay the same amount of bill for April, May and June as they had incurred in the corresponding period in 2019.

In case their consumption was upto 100 units more in the total lockdown months vis-a-vis the same period in 2019, the state will bear the entire cost for the additional electricity consumed.

If the power consumption was 100 to 300 units higher in April, May and June of 2020 versus the same months in 2019, the government will bear 50 percent of the additional cost, said the report citing officials.

In cases where the additional units of electricity consumption is more than 300, then the state will bear only 25 percent of the additional cost, the report added.

Notably, the decision is yet to be officially announced by the government. In case the consumers have already paid the bill, the waiver announced by the state would be adjusted in their future bill amount, the sources were reported as saying.

The populist move, which is in the offing, comes amid a row which has erupted in the state over inflated power bills. The government is under vehement attack from the opposition, which has been demanding a waiver from the state. Several consumers, including film celebrities, have claimed that they were charged exorbitantly high for the months of total lockdown when physical reading of units was not conducted.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2020 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).