Chandigarh, Feb 5 : Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said the state BJP government is "cheating" electricity consumers in the name of the solar scheme.

"Now, a game of deception has begun in the name of the solar scheme, " he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Hooda said under the guise of the 'Solar for Every Home' scheme, "the government, on one hand, claims to promote solar energy, while on the other, levies expensive fixed charges on consumers for installing solar systems".

"If a solar consumer's electricity generation falls even slightly short of consumption in a given month, the government slaps them with a hefty, fixed charge, resulting in a full bill. What benefit does the consumer get from installing solar panels in such a scenario?" the two-time Chief Minister questioned.

Hooda added that the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) have proposed a 15 to 17 per cent increase in electricity tariffs for 2026-27.

"This proposal will put an additional burden on domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers, and the public will be hit with another shock of expensive electricity," he said.

"The question is, if the corporations are running at a loss, what is the government's responsibility? Why isn't the government working to improve its efficiency and reduce losses? Why isn't the power generation and distribution system established by the Congress government in Haryana being properly utilised? Why is the burden of its failures repeatedly being placed on the public through expensive electricity?" he asked.

Referring to changes in electricity rates last year, Hooda said the BJP had already given the public a "major shock" by changing the tariff slabs.

"By increasing electricity prices fourfold from April 2025, the government has broken the back of the common man," he said.

Quoting an example, he said consumers who were earlier paying an electricity bill of Rs 900 are now suddenly having to pay Rs 4,000.

"This is because the government imposed a fixed charge of Rs 75 per kilowatt and also made significant changes to the tariff slabs," he added.

/IANS