DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Haryana Power Minister, Sh. Ranjit Singh has said that Chief Minister Manohar Lal has given a big gift to all the domestic categories of consumers who are not able to pay their electricity bills due to any reason during Covid-19 by giving in-principle approval to not levy surcharge. Addressing a press conference in his office here today, the Power Minister said that now instead of surcharge, consumers will be able to pay their bills by calculating the annual rate of simple interest of 10 percent. Consumers paying one time bill will get an additional 5% discount on the interest rate. He said that this scheme will continue for three months. This one-time surcharge waiver scheme will be applicable to the consumers of rural household, urban, domestic, agriculture and poultry categories. After levying surcharge on the first bill, the amount increases two to three times. Sh. Ranjit Singh said that to solve the problems of the consumers on the spot, the department will organize electricity panchayats, which he himself will start from Adampur Power House in Hisar district on September 6. He informed that work is underway on the plan to install smart meters in five cities. Orders were given to buy 10 lakh smart meters, out of which 3.5 lakh smart meters have been purchased. He said that the consumers should pay their electricity bills through e-pay, a study is being done in this direction. Responding to a question regarding Panchayat elections, the Power Minister said that the government is ready for this, as soon as the next comment in this regard comes from the court, we are ready to conduct the elections. He said that decentralization of power is the hallmark of our democracy. The Vidhan Sabha is also the property of the people, from the Gram Panchayat to the Parliament, only the elected representatives of the people take up the problems of the people and get them resolved. Ranjit Singh said that he is also in charge of the prison department. In the last almost three years, a unique initiative has been taken to improve the level of jails. A workshop of Jail Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents was organized in the past, in which Director General of Jail, former DGP, Sh. KP Singh, DGP of Tihar Jail were also called. It was also agreed in the meeting that Scorpio car would be given to the jail superintendents and deputy superintendents. Similarly, the time of dinner given to prisoners has also been changed, in the past, the prisoners were given food at sunset which was going on since the year 1947 because there was no electricity system in jails at that time but now modern concept of prisons has arrived. (editor@dailyworld.in)