Power consumers to pay more

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 24

Domestic and commercial electricity consumers will have to pay more from April 1.

Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) officials have submitted a proposal to the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) seeking an overall hike of 13.5 per cent in power tariff to meet its expenses for the next financial year.

The UERC officials said the hike in electricity tariff for domestic, commercial and other consumers would be done judiciously after holding public hearings on the proposed electricity tariff hike in the state.

Electricity supply, generation and transmission agencies have proposed a hike in power tariff for consumers under different categories to meet its expenses.

It may be recalled that UPCL officials had submitted a proposal, seeking a five per cent hike in power tariff but later they proposed an overall 13.5 per cent hike in power tariff for domestic, commercial and other consumers of the state.

The UPCL has proposed to hike power tariff for snow-bound areas. The UERC had sanctioned only 5 per cent hike in power tariff for all consumers against 24.96 per cent hike proposed by the UPCL for 2016-17.

The UERC officials said a public hearing each was being held in Almora and Rudrapur in Kumaon while a public hearing is proposed in Dehradun and Bauradi on March 2 and 3, respectively, with an aim to know public opinion on the proposed power tariff and improvement in power-related agencies.

UERC secretary Neeraj Sati said the hike in electricity tariff would be done so that consumers were not burdened unnecessarily.

He said UPCL officials had beenb told to take effective steps to strengthen the electricity distribution system across the state and reduce line losses.