HT Digital
GUWAHATI, June 17: In order to end the ‘VIP culture’, the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced that the state is going to scrap the free electricity privilege for ministers as well as for public servants.
Starting from July 1, all public servants and ministers, inclusive of CM Sarma himself, will pay their own power bills.
While sharing the declaration on social media platform and micro-blogging site X, Himanta Biswa Sarma came forward to be the first one to pay his own power bills from July 1, inspiring other ministers and public servants to do the same.
“We are ending the #VIPCulture rule of paying electricity bills of Government officials using tax payer money. Myself and the Chief Secretary will set an example and start paying our power bills from July 1 onwards,” Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X.
The new rule would assist the electricity board in reducing its losses. From July 1, all public servants, government officials, employees, and ministers will pay their own bills, said Assam CM in the video shared along with the post.
The Assam CM further added that the government had initiated a programme to automatically disconnect electricity at all government offices, excluding the CM Secretariat, Home, and Finance Departments, at 8 pm.
The step has already been executed in 8,000 government offices, schools, and other institutions throughout the state.
“Our aim is to gradually move all government establishments to solar power, and we are exploring beginning this work from our Medical Colleges and Universities across the State,” Assam CM added.
