Power tariff likely to go up, to affect 15.3 Million consumers, Discoms to reduce Power theft by 15%

JAIPUR: After a steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, get ready for another shock as power tariff in the state is likely to go up soon. The power distribution companies had filed a petition before the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC ] for a hike in tariff which would affect about 1.53 crore consumers in the state. Nareshpal Gangwar , chairman, discoms, and principal secretary, energy, said, “in last three years there has been no hike while the input costs have gone up. To make good the cost, the discoms had asked for a revision in tariff from the regulatory commission”.

However, he said, there is no fixed percentage in hike as it differs from slab to slab.   power theft) by less than 15% this year. But, it is continuing over 20% as the failed to initiate effective measures to reduce distribution loss and the honest consumers had to bear this burden as well. But Gangwar said the hike was necessitated not due to the continuing high distribution losses. The regulatory commission does not consider the distribution losses for tariff hike, he claimed. The proposed tariff hike petition, however, proposes to reduce the power tariff to industries during non-peak hours (night) Thus, there will be two rates for industries – a high rate during the day and lower rate at night. It also proposes a hike in the rates of agriculture connections. However, the government had announced that the farmers’ power rates will not be hiked. In that case, the government will have to pay the , if RERC accepts their case. The RERC will hear the , consumers and various stakeholders before permitting any hike since the existing price of power is already quite high. [Times of india]