Assam Initiates Plan to Reduce Power Tariff by 2025, CM Himanta Makes Big Announcement

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday directed the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd. (APDCL) to explore the feasibility of reducing power tariffs by ₹1 for consumers using less than 300 units, starting from April 1, 2025. He made the announcement during the inauguration of a 2.5 MW solar project at Janata Bhawan. Currently, the power tariff is ₹5.85 per unit for up to 300 units. 

“APDCL has been instructed to explore the possibility of reducing power tariff by ₹1 for consumers using less than 300 units from April 1, 2025, if other factors remain stable. This will provide relief to Assam's middle-class families”,  Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

He also instructed APDCL to prevent power misuse by installing 'auto stopper' systems in the state secretariat and other government offices. "We have already implemented auto stopper systems in 8,000 government offices, schools, and Anganwadi centres. Initially, we will install these systems in all buildings in the state secretariat, except for those housing the Finance Department, Home & Political Department, and Lok Sewa Bhawan. With these auto stopper systems, electricity will be automatically cut off at 8 p.m.," he elaborated. 

He announced the end of the 75-year-old VIP culture where the state government paid the electricity bills for the residences of high-ranking government officials, including the Chief Minister's. "In the last 75 years after India got Independence, no Chief Minister in Assam had paid power bills on their own and the state government took the burden of paying it. Even though I was also enjoying free electricity for the last three years and I was unaware of the fact," he said, adding that, starting July 1, all state ministers would be responsible for paying their own power bills.  

Taking to his X handle, the Chief Minister wrote: "We are ending the #VIPCulture rule of paying electricity bills of Government officials using taxpayer money. "Myself and the Chief Secretary will set an example and start paying our power bills from July 1 onwards. Beginning July 2024, all public servants will have to pay for their own electricity consumption," he added.