Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann met AAP leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (April 12) at his residence in Delhi. On the issue of providing free electricity to the consumers of Punjab, Mann held a meeting for about two and a half hours.
The issue of providing 300 units of free electricity in Punjab is political as well as economical. According to Powercom experts, if 300 units of free electricity were provided, the total annual cost would be Rs 23,300 crore, while the total budget deficit of the Punjab Government alone is Rs. 24000 crores per annum. About Rs 14,000 crore will be borne by Powercom. If the government takes the full bill as soon as it crosses 300 units, the burden will come down to Rs 7,000 crore.
At present, the government is paying an annual bill of Rs 13,500 crore
Free electricity for agriculture - 7000 crore per annum.
SC-BC-Bill Poverty Line 200 Units Free Every Month - Rs. 1600 Crore.
Bills pardoned by the Channi government - Rs 1,500 crore.
Affordable power to industry - Rs. 2300 crore
Cheap power provided by Channi government - 1100 crore.
Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann tweeted after the meeting.
After the meeting, Bhagwant Mann shared, “हमारे लीडर और दिल्ली के CM अरविंद केजरीवाल जी के साथ बहुत अच्छी मीटिंग हुई। बहुत जल्द पंजाब के लोगों को एक अच्छी ख़बर दूँगा।( Had a very good meeting with our leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal ji. Very soon I will give good news to the people of Punjab.)
Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter and shared, “हम सब मिलकर दिल्ली, पंजाब और पूरा देश बदलेंगे। लोग बहुत परेशान और दुःखी हैं। नेताओं और पार्टियों की गंदी और भ्रष्टाचारी राजनीति से तंग आ चुके हैं। हमें लोगों के लिए दिन रात काम करना है। (Together we will change Delhi, Punjab and the whole country. People are very upset and sad. Tired of dirty and corrupt politics of politicians and parties. We have to work day and night for the people.)
Also read: 9 senior IPS officers transferred in Punjab
Earlier on Monday, on the issue of free electricity, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Kejriwal took a meeting of the officers of the state in Delhi. The opposition also targeted the AAP leadership, accusing it of running the Punjab government remotely due to the absence of Chief Minister Mann in the meeting.