Assam: Ministers, Govt Officers To Lose Subsidized Power Benefits

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that ministers and senior government officers will no longer enjoy subsidized power benefits in the state.

CM Sarma has instructed the power department to eliminate the current system of charging nominal electricity bills from them.

He also stated that he had instructed the Power Department to install individual prepaid meters in every government quarters including the residences in the Minister’s colony, to prevent them for evading payment for power usage.

The development came after the chief minister met with department officials who told CM Sarma that a very nominal amount was being deducted from the salaries of Ministers and senior officers every month as power usage charges.

Taking to X, the CM wrote: “"Immediately, I instructed the department to install individual prepaid meters in every government quarter, including residences in the ministerial colony.”

He also said that this measure will ensure that no ministers and government officers ‘enjoys’ the subsidized power tariff.

Earlier, the state cabinet took a landmark decision to end the practice of magical healing as it approved Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024.

According to the bill, any person found guilty of committing the illegal act in the name of treatment or magical healing will be subjected to imprisonment and fines.

CM Sarma said that this bill will ban such healing sessions and also stop the ‘healers’ who are extorting the poor and downtrodden people in the name of treatment.

The cabinet has also approved a Wildlife Sarari and Rescue Centre at Namdang Reserve Forest under the Dibrugarh Forest Division.

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