UPERC defers power tariff hike for rural domestic consumers

LUCKNOW: The UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has deferred the execution of its order with regard to the 10% increase in the power tariff for rural domestic consumers by three months in view of the hardships being faced by them due to the drought. The 10% tariff increase order had come into effect from January 1.

The commission, in its order issued on Thursday, said it had deferred the implementation of the order by three months. “The electricity bills that the rural domestic consumers have already paid will be adjusted in their next bills,” the commission said.

Sources said the commission was also mulling reduction of tariff by 50% or more for rural domestic and private tube well consumers in the drought-hit districts. The commission on Wednesday sought UPPCL’s reply to the UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president, Awadhesh Kumar Verma’s petition seeking 100% tariff waiver.

The commission has also asked the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) to make a submission about the maintainability of the petition seeking introduction of one-time settlement scheme (OTS), filed by it.

The regulator has also asked the UPPCL to explain the logic for not limiting the OTS scheme only to the 50 drought-hit districts and also to provide information on issues and milestones with regard to 100% metering of rural consumers, confirmation that the waived amounts of the OTS Schemes have been dealt properly in the past so that the burden of the same was not passed in the tariff.

The commission has directed the UPPCL to analyse as to how much of the rebate will be passed on to the marginal and subsistence category of farmers who are most hit by such natural calamities.

Interestingly, the UPPCL already announced introduction of the OTS for rural areas last Thursday without waiting for the UPERC’s nod for the petition.