Himachal ministers’ power bills total Rs 17.95 lakh in a year; govt saves Rs 59 lakh in subsidy surrender scheme
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu informed the House that at least 15 ministers have surrendered their electricity subsidies this year.
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So far, a total of 6,52,955 smart meters have been installed across Shimla city, Dharamshala town, and other areas falling under these schemes. The state aims to complete full smart metering in certain areas by February 2026. (representative image)The Himachal Pradesh government has saved nearly Rs 59 lakh under the electricity surrender subsidy scheme till February 20 this year, according to data placed in the House on the second day of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Tuesday.
The state has also incurred an expenditure of Rs 17,95,879 towards electricity bills for residences of cabinet ministers, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and state dignitaries over the past year between January 1, 2024, and February 20, 2025.
Sukhu placed details of the electricity bills for the official residences of the CM, deputy CM, and other cabinet members from January 2024 to February 2025 and informed the House that at least 15 ministers, including him, Agnihotri, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Deputy Speaker Vinay Kumar Singh and others have surrendered their electricity subsidies this year after February 20. Sukhu urged Opposition MLAs to follow suit.
BJP’s Sudhir Sharma, the MLA from Dharamshala, and Congress’s Kewal Singh Pathania, the MLA from Shahpur, had sought the information.
At Rs 6.78 lakh, the highest bill was for the official residence of Congress MLA from Nagrota, R S Bali, who is also chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) of cabinet rank. Sukhu’s residence at Oak Over incurred a bill of Rs 3.76 lakh during the same period.
As per the government statement, the state has benefited by about Rs 59 lakh under the Electricity Subsidy Surrender Scheme till February 20, 2025. The scheme has been operational since last year, providing relief to domestic consumers while ensuring efficient power distribution.
On January 2 this year, CM Sukhu was the first person in the state to surrender the subsidy of 125 free units of electricity under his name.
Expansion of smart metering network
The information placed in the House by Sukhu further stated that, alongside subsidy implementation, Himachal Pradesh is aggressively expanding its smart metering network under central schemes like the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
So far, a total of 6,52,955 smart meters have been installed across Shimla city, Dharamshala town, and other areas falling under these schemes. The state aims to complete full smart metering in certain areas by February 2026.
For Mandi, Hamirpur, and Kangra towns, Letters of Intent (LOIs) have been issued for the installation of 5,05,078 smart meters specifically targeting system metering and priority consumers. Additionally, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited has approved the installation of 14,78,945 smart consumer meters, which will cover major towns like Kangra, Mandi, and Hamirpur.
The implementation of smart meters is expected to reduce power theft, improve billing accuracy, and enhance real-time monitoring for both domestic and commercial consumers.
Cabinet minister—Electricity expenses between Jan 1, 2024 and Feb 20, 2025
- Tourism Development Board Chairman R S Bali—Rs 6.78 lakh
- CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Oak Over, Shimla)—Rs 3.76 lakh
- Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri—Rs 1.85 lakh
- Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil—Rs 1.48 lakh
- PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh—Rs 1.29 lakh
- Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh—Rs 98,631
- Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi—Rs 76,155
- Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar—Rs 44,278
- Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan—Rs 29,863
- Education Minister Rohit Thakur—Rs 28,224
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