The Arvind Kejriwal government’s proposal mandating an hourly compensation of Rs 100 to consumers in case of unscheduled power cuts has received an approval from Delhi’s Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

The proposal to compensate consumers for unscheduled outages by power discoms in the national capital was approved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a few days ago and was sent for the L-G’s approval, media reports said.

“Approved proposal for issue of policy directions regarding payment of compensation to consumers in case of power failure,” Baijal tweeted today.

As per the proposed policy, power discoms will have to pay their consumers for unscheduled power cuts, after first hour, at an hourly rate of Rs 100., the report said

With the LG’s approval, Delhi will become the first city in the country to have a policy to compensate consumers for unscheduled outages, it was pointed out.

Under the policy, discoms will be exempt from paying penalty in the first hour of an unscheduled power cut. For the next hour, consumers will be paid Rs 50, after which compensation will be paid at a rate of Rs 100 per hour, the PTI report highlighted.

The first hour exemption from penalty will be available once a day for the discoms, it said.

There are three private power discoms including the BSES companies BYPL and BRPL, and the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) that supply power to the city, barring areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Cantonment, the report highlighted.

The compensation earned by the consumers will be adjusted against their monthly power bill, it added.