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Chandigarh MP pitches free power and water for low-income families in UT
MP Manish Tewari urged the Chandigarh administration to roll out a targeted welfare scheme offering 300 units of free electricity and 20,000 litres of free water to low-income households, funded by savings from privatisation. He cited a fiscal space of ₹856.01 crore from CPDL privatisation and proposed supplementary grants of ₹856-1,000 crore to reimburse CPDL, with water relief costing ₹15-20 crore to be borne by the Municipal Corporation.
Why It Matters
The proposal would directly affect welfare support for Chandigarh's urban poor and reflects how utility privatisation may free budget space for subsidies.
Timeline
3 Events
May 10, 2026: Article reports MP's push for free power and water
May 10, 2026
In a communication to the UT administration, MP Manish Tewari urged a targeted welfare scheme offering 300 units of free electricity and 20,000 litres of free water to low-income households. He proposed that ₹856-1,000 crore be sought through supplementary grants later in 2026 to reimburse CPDL, and estimated that providing 20,000 litres of free water to households earning below ₹20,000 per month would cost ₹15-20 crore, to be borne by the Municipal Corporation.
May 2026: Visits to 22 urban villages and rehabilitation colonies described
May 2026
Tewari said visits to 22 urban villages and several rehabilitation colonies revealed growing distress among urban poor and lower middle-class families struggling with rising food prices and overall living costs.
February 2025: Privatisation of Chandigarh's electricity distribution and CPDL handover
February 2025
Electricity distribution in Chandigarh was privatised in February 2025 and handed to Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL). The privatisation coincided with a reported decline in expenditure on power and renewable energy, creating a fiscal space of ₹856.01 crore between FY 2024-25 and FY 2026-27 that could be redirected toward subsidised electricity.