The 50 per cent discount on electricity and water charges announced in today's package is on fixed demand charges for industrial and commercial consumers, Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary (Power and Information) Rohit Kansal clarified on Saturday.
Kansal, in a tweet, highlighted that this was not a discount on electricity bills.
"J&KIndustrialPackage2020. Electricity and water charges. #CLARIFICATION. The 50% discount on Electricity and water CHARGES announced in today's package is a 50% discount on FIXED DEMAND CHARGES for Industrial and Commercial consumers. This is NOT a discount on Electricity Bills," Kansal tweeted.
This comes after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday announced a relief package of Rs 1,350 crore for Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to boost the business and the other ailing sectors that have suffered huge losses for several years in the newly formed Union Territory.
Sinha announced concession in water and electricity bills for the people of the UT and added that the government has decided to extend the maximum limit of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh for the people under the credit card scheme involved in the handloom and handicraft industry.
"For one year, we will be giving a 50 per cent concession in water and electricity bills. We will be spending Rs 105 crore on this. This will benefit farmers, ordinary people, businessmen, and others. The stamp duty has also been exempted up to March 2021 in the case of all borrowers. The focus is also on setting up customised Health-Tourism scheme by Jammu and Kashmir Bank for financial assistance to people in the tourism sector with good pricing and repayment options," he said while addressing a press conference in Raj Bhawan.
He said that Rs 1,350 crore economic package is apart from Rs 1,400 crore package announced for Jammu and Kashmir under Aatma Nirbhar Abhiyan of which Rs 6,000 is for power sector reforms etc.
Giving more information about the package, the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor said that it will also cover those sectors that have suffered losses in the newly created UT in addition to the ailing business sector.
Notably, this package was announced just days after Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA), an umbrella of various trade bodies, had earlier stated that due to coronavirus pandemic lockdown businessmen have incurred huge losses.
( With inputs from ANI )
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