Power tariff hike in Haryana draws flak from industry body

The National Jan Udyog Vyapar Sangthan has opposed the recent electricity tariff hike implemented by the Haryana Government and warned that it could lead to migration of manufacturing units out of Haryana.

Advertisement

State president of Sangthan Gulshan Dang said revision of power rates would put additional financial burden on the industry as it were already significantly higher than those in neighbouring states. “It can lead to migration of manufacturing units out of Haryana”, he said, adding that despite repeated appeals and memorandums from the industry bodies across the state, there is no response from the government so far.

Dang said the state government seemed indifferent to the challenges faced by the industrial sector in Haryana.

The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission announced a 30 paise per unit increase in power tariffs for industrial and commercial users, along with a steep rise in the fixed per kVA charge from Rs 165 to Rs 290, he said. The industry association leader said this had placed a heavy financial burden on small and medium enterprises.

He said a unit with a 100 kVA load now had to pay Rs 15,500 more per month, while medium-scale units were seeing an additional monthly cost exceeding Rs 40,000. He estimated that this revision would result in an annual burden of Rs 2,100 crore on the industry. This could make states like Delhi and Rajasthan—where per kVA charges were Rs 125 and Rs 160, respectively—more attractive for investment and expansion.

Dang also pointed out that the tariff hike was affecting common households, which earlier paid monthly electricity bills of Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 but were now being billed between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000. He said increased cost of power for industries would have a cascading effect as it would inevitably raise production costs, leading to higher inflation and cost of living for consumers. Calling the tariff hike a silent blow to both industry and the public, he demanded its immediate rollback to provide much-needed relief to Haryana’s industrial sector and common people alike.