– Photo : Amar Ujala
Expansion
There will be a hearing on electricity rates in Uttar Pradesh between July 8 and July 20. After completing the hearing in the electricity distribution corporations, the regulatory commission will decide the rates. As soon as the date of hearing was announced, the consumer council has also started its preparations. The council says that the consumers’ dues of Rs 33122 crore on the distribution corporations for many years should be returned, after that the increase in electricity rates should be considered.
On behalf of the state’s electricity distribution corporations, the Power Corporation has filed an Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) of Rs 101784 crore for the year 2024-25 with the Regulatory Commission. The Commission directed all distribution corporations to make the complete details public. Now the preparations for the hearing have started. In this hearing, the side of the distribution corporations and consumers will be heard.
According to the Regulatory Commission, the hearing of Kesco will be held in Kanpur on July 8, hearing of UPPCL and SLDC in Lucknow on July 10, hearing of Madhyanchal in Lucknow Electricity Regulatory Commission auditorium on July 11, hearing of Poorvanchal in Varanasi on July 16, hearing of Dakshinanchal in Agra on July 18, hearing of Noida Power Company in Greater Noida on July 19 and hearing of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam in Meerut on July 20. In this, common consumers of the state can attend the hearing and put forth their views on the electricity rates. After the hearing, the Regulatory Commission will implement the new rates.
First pay the dues, then think of increasing it: Verma
The Consumer Council has decided that the Council Chairman will participate in all hearings. The corporations have not proposed any direct hike, but have chosen an alternative way of hike other than 40%. State Electricity Consumer Council Chairman Awadhesh Kumar Verma has appealed to the Chief Minister and Energy Minister that before considering increasing the electricity tariff, the dues of consumers should be returned, because consumers have dues of about Rs. 33122 crore on electricity distribution corporations. He said that after the hearing, the government can provide relief to consumers under Section 108 of the Electricity Act 2003.