Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government’s expanded free electricity scheme for domestic consumers will come into effect from the next billing cycle after the TNPDCL completes updates to its billing software to implement the government’s revised policy.
According to an official communication issued by the accounts branch of Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) to field-level chief engineers, the billing software has been updated to include eligibility verification, subsidy calculations, bill generation, and accounting provisions under the revised scheme.
Senior officials have also been instructed to ensure eligible consumers receive the benefits without delays when the next billing cycle begins.
The decision follows Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s first major policy initiative after assuming office, under which domestic consumers whose bi-monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 500 units will receive free power for up to 200 units.
Tamil Nadu has approximately 2.46 crore domestic electricity consumers. Of these, nearly 67 lakh consumers using less than 100 units every two months already receive free electricity and do not pay any charges. With the extension of the scheme to 200 units, the number of households receiving zero electricity bills is expected to rise sharply to around 1.2 crore consumers.
