Delhi Government Considers Opt-In Power Subsidy System
What Happened
Delhi’s government is considering a new way to handle its power subsidy scheme: consumers would have to opt in to receive it, while those who can afford to do without it could formally opt out. Officials said the change is being discussed because the subsidy bill has risen as the number of users has grown.
Compliance Impact
If adopted, the shift would make subsidy access more active and annual rather than automatic. Households that still want the benefit would need to register every financial year, while the government would need a website and a fresh verification process to run the scheme.
Limits
Officials say the opt-in design is meant to let financially stable consumers give up the benefit, which some already wanted to do.
A CAG report has warned that the current subsidy policy does not adequately target poorer households, because many beneficiaries are in the higher-consumption bracket.