Chhattisgarh Cabinet Offers Rs 1/Unit Electricity Discount to Steel Industries
Raipur
In a major development, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai Cabinet has decided to give a discount of one rupee per unit in energy charges to the mini steel plants of the state. This discount has been given to steel industries with capacity less than one megawatt and more than 2.5 MVA except captive power plants. The state government has said that this decision has been taken with the aim of keeping the steel industries competitive and giving them relief due to industrial and economic recession.
With the aim of keeping the HV-4 category electricity consumers – mini steel plants, steel industries which do not have captive power plants or have less than one megawatt and their load is more than 2.5 MVA competitive and giving them relief due to industrial and economic recession, the cabinet took an important decision and decided to give a maximum discount of one rupee per unit in energy charges from 01 October 2024 to 31 March 2025 under the special relief package.
The steel industries had stopped production against the increased electricity bill in Chhattisgarh. About 150 mini steel plants and 50 other sponge iron plants were on strike from 29 July 2024. The cost of making iron had increased significantly due to the increase in electricity rates. In view of the situation, the Chhattisgarh Mini Steel Plant Association had demanded the state government to reduce the 8 percent electricity duty to 0 for 15 years with a subsidy of Rs 1.40 for five years.
The Sai Cabinet decided to pay the difference amount of Rs 800 between the support price fixed by the Central Government and the rate announced by the Chhattisgarh Government in lump sum in February 2025 and to auction the surplus paddy from the paddy procured in the Kharif marketing year 2024-25 through online platform. Also read: Update: After overnight drama, Mumbai Police returned after leaving the suspect of attack on Saif Ali at the railway station
