Delhi electricity consumers seeking the subsidy will now have to provide their Aadhaar details to the government and their electricity distribution company, following a notification issued by the Energy Department after approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
The information can be submitted through a web portal or another channel specified by the Delhi government. The notification makes Aadhaar details mandatory for receiving the subsidy and says the identity document will help establish reliable identification while reducing the need for multiple documents.
The subsidy is administered through Delhi’s distribution licence holders, which apply the benefit to eligible consumer electricity bills. The Delhi government bears the cost of the subsidy. Consumers will therefore have to share their Aadhaar number with both the relevant power company and the government through the prescribed process.
The notification also addresses consumers who do not currently have an Aadhaar card. They can apply for one and provide identity-related information as required under the government’s instructions, according to the report. The available information does not specify a separate deadline for existing beneficiaries to complete the submission or detail the process for consumers whose Aadhaar and electricity-account details do not match.
The department’s stated reason for the change is to make the subsidy process simpler and more transparent. Officials and sources cited in the report said the identification process would help establish how many subsidised electricity connections are linked to the same person. The government will continue to use the consumer account number, or CA number, as the basis for issuing the subsidy for now.
The report also states that the identification mechanism could become relevant if the subsidy is transferred directly to bank accounts in the future. In that situation, one person may be restricted to receiving the subsidy for only one electricity meter. However, the notification described in the report does not announce a direct-benefit transfer system or change the current CA-number-based method.
Delhi’s electricity subsidy scheme was introduced under the former Aam Aadmi Party government led by Arvind Kejriwal. Under the existing structure, households consuming up to 200 units of electricity a month receive a 100% subsidy, effectively resulting in a zero bill. For monthly consumption between 201 and 400 units, consumers receive a 50% subsidy on the first 200 units. Households consuming more than 400 units receive no subsidy and pay the full bill at applicable rates.
The immediate next step for consumers is to submit their Aadhaar information through the web portal or any other channel formally designated by the Delhi government. The Energy Department’s notification, as reported, does not indicate any immediate change to the current consumption slabs or the method by which the subsidy is reflected on electricity bills.
