Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 2 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has voluntarily given up the subsidy on all five electricity meters registered in his name. He submitted the required form to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Chairman Sanjay Gupta and urged well-off individuals to follow suit.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister emphasized that affluent citizens with multiple electricity meters should relinquish subsidies to support the development of the state. He encouraged well-off consumers to voluntarily waive their subsidies through the electricity online portal of the board, by calling helpline numbers 1100 or 1912, or by visiting their nearest electricity sub-division.
The Chief Minister said that all Cabinet members and Congress MLAs in the state have agreed to forgo their subsidies following discussions. He said that the government spends Rs. 2,200 crore annually on electricity subsidies and Rs. 200 crore monthly on salaries and pensions of electricity board employees. He said that subsidies should be reserved for the needy and well-off individuals must contribute towards building a more just society.
He reiterated the vision of the state government for making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant and making all possible efforts to reform the system which has led to a gradual revival of the state's economy, according to a release.
The Chief Minister said that measures of the state government were proving helpful in preventing investment outflows and have further strengthened economic growth of the state. He called on citizens to support these initiatives and said that collective efforts would ensure better opportunities for the underprivileged while driving the state's progress.