The Gujarat Government waived a total of Rs 1,715 crore in electricity duty of over 16,000 industrial units in the last two years, the Legislative Assembly was informed on Tuesday. The purpose was to reduce the financial burden of new industrial units making investment in the state, said Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, responding to questions regarding the waiver mechanism. Exemption in electricity duty is also offered to existing manufacturing units if they are making expansion, he said. The exemption is offered under the Gujarat Electricity Duty Act of 1958, said Patel in his written reply. As of December 2020, 16,297 industrial units had been granted a waiver of Rs 1,715 crore in preceding two years, the minister said.