New Delhi, September 25, 2019 — In a significant step towards extending the benefits of subsidized electricity to tenants in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana’ on Wednesday.
This scheme allows tenants to install prepaid electricity meters in rented premises, enabling them to avail themselves of the power subsidy scheme already in place by the Delhi government.
Key Features of the Scheme
The ‘Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana,’ which grants tenants a benefit of providing free electricity consumption for up to 200 units a month and half subsidy for 201-to-400 units, is similar to that given to property owners in the city.
Earlier it had been difficult for the tenants to get a separate power connection because it needed a No Objection Certificate from the landlord.
Replying to this, Kejriwal said, “Tenants will now get a meter with only two documents-Rent Agreement or Rent Receipt or Identity card.” This policy has removed the requirement for a no-objection certificate, thus simplifying the process of granting tenants their own electricity meters.
Implementation Details
The tenants will have to deposit a security amount of ₹3,000 for the installation of prepaid meters. These meters will be brought to tenants at their places upon verification of necessary documents. The Chief Minister noted that the scheme has been drafted keeping tenants in mind so that the landlords do not feel insecure or suspicious regarding the new setup.
The meters will have stickers showing that they were installed under the tenant power scheme, to assure landlords on the legitimacy of landlords’ tenancy.
Benefits to Tenants and Landlords
This initiative is likely to provide tenants with terrific relieve from the financial burden of electricity bills, especially often those without individual meters end up paying higher rates.
Many landlords charge tenants ₹8-₹10 per unit as opposed to the heavily subsidized rates offered by government connections. With the introduction of these individual prepaid meters, tenants will now stand to benefit from the government subsidy directly, leading to a huge cut-off in their electricity bills.
Also, the landlords will benefit through this scheme. In a multi-tenant property, total electricity consumption is generally kept higher together, putting the whole consumption in the higher tariff slab. Once tenants get a separate connection, landlords might end up with lower utility bills since their actual consumption would fall into the lower slabs.
Political Implications
The announcement of the ‘Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana’ has come just ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls slated for early next year. Political analysts see this move as an effort increasingly directed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to enlist the support of a large tenant population of the city.
The AAP government is keen on satisfying the long-standing demand of better powers of electricity in order to woo the tenants into its electoral fold.
The ‘Mukhyamantri Kirayedar Bijli Meter Yojana’ marks a progressive stride towards enabling subsidised utilities in the inclusive access of all Delhiites. With all efforts to lift the locks for bureaucratic hurdles and enabling serious financial benefits for tenants across the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal, inclusive development in terms of welfare for its residents continues to see policy designs.
