Over 40 lakh of the capital's 57.60 lakh household electricity consumers have applied for subsidy under the Delhi government's free electricity scheme till Tuesday, according to official data.

The data also shows that 47 lakh consumers got help while consumers did not want to apply for the scheme. The Delhi government has revised its subsidy scheme to force home buyers to apply for the benefit. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that from October only those consumers who applied for electricity subsidy will get it. Till Tuesday evening, 40,28,915 customers applied for the assistance.

These include 9.88 lakh customers of BSES Yamuna Power Limited, 18.28 lakh customers of BSES Rajdhani Power Limited and 11.28 lakh customers of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited. Another 13,882 customers from the New Delhi City Council area also applied, official figures showed.

“Only those consumers who have submitted their applications by November 15 will receive assistance for October. Applications submitted on November 15 will be considered for December and subsequent months,” said a senior government official.

More than 37 lakh customers have opted for help till November 15. The last date to apply for this offer is set for October 31. More than 35 lakh customers have applied for this scheme from the last date, which was later extended to November 15.

Of the 47 lakh customers who received the initial assistance, nearly 30 lakh have availed free electricity of up to 200 minutes per month. The government provided 50% subsidy (up to ₹ 800) to 16-17 lakh consumers with a monthly consumption of 201-400 units. Any customer who does not apply for financial assistance can receive it through the next billing process after applying.

For the current financial year, the Delhi government has allocated ₹ 3,250 crore for the grant scheme. The amount allocated to the program in 2021-22 is ₹ 3,090 crore.