Congress Calls 200-Unit Power Tariff Relief a ‘Betrayal of the Public’

The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) has slammed the state government’s decision to provide 50% electricity tariff relief only up to 200 units, calling it a betrayal of the public.

CPCC President Deepak Baij pointed out that the relief will benefit only consumers whose monthly consumption is exactly 400 units, as they would receive 50% relief on the first 200 units. Any consumer exceeding 400 units by even a single unit will have to pay the full bill without any concession.

The Congress has demanded that electricity rates be reduced by 50% for up to 400 units, irrespective of total consumption, as was guaranteed under the previous Congress government. The party also called for an immediate rollback of the four rounds of tariff hikes implemented by the current government.

Baij warned that if the government fails to restore 50% relief up to 400 units, the Congress will gherao the Chief Minister’s residence in December. He further demanded that electricity tariffs be reduced by 30 November, the 50% relief reinstated, and the installation of smart meters halted. In places where smart meters are already installed, old check meters should be retained to verify accurate readings.

He added that the steep rise in power bills has disrupted household budgets across the state, with consumers struggling under excessively high electricity charges for the past three months. Baij urged the government to reinstate the “Electricity Bill Half” scheme introduced under the Bhupesh Baghel government to provide immediate relief.

Highlighting the lower cost of coal, which has dropped by at least ₹400 per tonne following reductions in the coal cess, Baij emphasised that the government must lower power tariffs immediately based on the reduced Variable Cost Adjustment (VCA).

Sushil Anand Shukla, Chairman of the Communication Department of the CPCC, echoed the party’s call for swift action to relieve consumers from soaring electricity bills.

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