Punjab increases electricity charges; CM Bhagwant Mann says it won't affect common man

Tribune News Service

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 15

Consumers in Punjab will have to pay more for power, as the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved an increase in power tariff for this year. Fixed charges as well as tariff rate for each unit has been increased.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the revised tariff would not impact the common man. The increase would be borne by the government, he said.

While domestic consumers, who will get 300 units of free power each month, will have to pay Rs 15 per kilo watt as additional fixed charges, the per unit tariff has been increased by 25 paise to 70 paise per unit. The non-residential or commercial consumers will have to pay Rs 25- Rs 30 as fixed charges, per unit tariff has been increased by 28-41 paise per unit.

Industry in the state will have to pay Rs 25- Rs 30 as additional fixed charges, per unit tariff for different categories of industrial consumers is now up by 30- 40 paise per unit. Even for agriculture consumers, per unit cost has been increased by 90 paise. Though power for agriculture consumers is free, the hike in tariff will increase the subsidy burden of the state government for both agriculture and domestic consumers.

The new tariff order comes into effect from Tuesday. Though the tariff order comes into effect from April 1, the new tariff order this year was delayed because of the model code of conduct being in place for the Jalandhar bypoll.

Vishwajit Khanna, chairman of PSERC, said the Commission had decided to continue with its policy of encouraging the industry by promoting the productive use of surplus power by offering lower energy rate of Rs 5.24/kVAh for consumption of power exceeding the threshold limit. Further, “voltage rebate” will also continue to be given in addition to the capped energy charges of Rs 5.24/kVAh. Special night tariff with 50 per cent fixed charges and energy charge of Rs 5.24/kVAh for all industrial consumers using electricity exclusively during the hours of 10 pm to 6 am has also been continued,” he said.