CHANDIGARH: The UT electricity department has proposed no power tariff hike in the 2020-21 financial year in a major relief to city residents.
The department made the suggestion in an annual revenue requirement (ARR) and tariff petition for 2020-21submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). In the current fiscal as well, the department had not proposed any hike, which was later approved by the power regulatory body.
A senior official of the electricity department said there will be a surplus of around Rs 8 crore with it for the period ending 2020-21. So, the department did not propose any hike, he said. Now, the JERC will hold a public hearing session in Chandigarh, where all stakeholders, including residents, traders and industrialists, can submit their objections or suggestions for ARR. Accordingly, the JERC will take a final call on the petition, the official said.
According to the last orders of JERC, the new tariff was applicable from June 1, 2019, and would remain valid till further orders of the commission.
Last time, there was a hike in power tariff for 2018-19 financial year. At that time, the JERC had marginally increased rates in domestic and commercial categories and reduced them for the industrial category. In the domestic category, rates had been increased from Rs 2.55 to Rs 2.75 in the slab of 0-150 units, while there had been no change in the rate of Rs 4.80 in the slab of 151-400 units. In the slab of above 400 units, the rate had gone up from Rs 5 to Rs 5.20 per unit.
Along similar lines, a small increase in the commercial consumer category had been made in 2018-19. In the commercial category, there was no change in the rate of Rs 5 in the 0-150 slab, while in the slab of 151-400, the rate was increased from Rs 5.20 to Rs 5.30 per unit. In above 400 slab, the rate was increased from Rs 5.45 to Rs 5.60 per unit.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
