Assam govt to provide Rs 250 more to EWS families for electricity bill: CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said his government will provide an additional amount of Rs 250 to economically-weak families to help them pay their monthly electricity bills.

The fixed additional amount will be given from October to beneficiaries of the 'Orunodoi' scheme, a flagship programme of the state government that currently covers nearly 20 lakh families, he said.

The government provides monthly monetary assistance of Rs 1,000 to the beneficiaries under the programme.

Launching 'Orunodoi Month', Sarma said, "From October, the Orunodoi beneficiaries will get Rs 1,250 monthly. The additional Rs 250 will be provided to pay their electricity bills.

He said the government could have paid the amount directly to the power corporation but it "wants to instil responsibility among the people to make the payment themselves".

Sarma also said the beneficiary list of the scheme will be updated in the next two months.

Student volunteers will visit households for updating the list till September 20, and once the field visits are over, the list will be finalised by the district committees by October 10.

"We will cover the beneficiaries as per the updated list from October and they will get the revised amount, the chief minister said.

Six lakh more eligible families are targeted to be included in the revised list.

Sarma also appealed to families, who are currently on the list but whose economic condition has improved, to withdraw themselves from the scheme.

Those who are no longer meet the necessary criteria for being 'Orunodoi' beneficiaries have been requested to voluntarily leave the programme, he said.

Sarma said it can be done through both online and offline modes, and 459 such families have already given up benefits under the scheme.