Jammu and Kashmir Finance minister Haseeb Drabu arriving to present the state budget in Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly. (PTI Photo)
The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced free electricity up to 30 units to all the below poverty line (BPL) families.
The announcement was made by Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu while presenting budget in the assembly today.
The state has a power liability of Rs 7000 crore and Mr Drabu said free power is to incentivise metering in all households to prevent the power pilferage and theft in the state.
"I announced debt restructuring by raising markets borrowings for about Rs 7000 crores in the form of power bonds to clear off our accumulated power liabilities," said Mr Drabu in his budget speech.
As part of women outreach of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, the finance minister announced 50 per cent subsidy on purchase of scooterettes for women in the state. He also announced that the fees of girl students up to class 12 in government-run schools will be waived off. Besides setting up new women police stations, the government also announced it will set up exclusive entrepreneur centres for women in the state.