Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (TNN file photo)

BHOPAL: For those who don't pay power bills in Madhya Pradesh , election time is the best season. With five months to go for assembly polls, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Tuesday he was waiving the electricity dues of 88 lakh BPL families and those covered under the Mukhya Mantri Jan Kalyan Yojana .

Chouhan had done the same thing in June 2013, before the assembly election. This time, the CM extended it to unorganised labourers as well and fixed a flat rate of Rs 200 per month for these beneficiaries.

In one sweep, he has covered nearly 2.5 crore voters — half of MP's electorate.

The decision was taken on Tuesday at a cabinet meeting headed by the CM. Named Saral Bijli Bill Scheme, it will increase the burden on the cash-strapped exchequer and could prove to be a political masterstroke.

The 2013 waiver cost around Rs 2,000 crore — the government paid a subsidy of Rs 652 crore while the rest was borne by discoms. This time, it could cost over Rs 5,100 crore, of which the government will pay Rs 1,806 crore as subsidy to discoms; 50% of the bill, or Rs 1,806 crore, will be borne by discoms, which will also have to forgo the surcharge — close to Rs 1,500 crore — on these defaults.

On June 13, Chouhan will start the scheme to give power to BPL households at Rs 200 per month. After August, beneficiaries will get power at a flat rate of Rs 200 per month, for which they may use one fan, one light bulb and a television, said officials.

