Power tariff revised in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Sep 13 (UNI) Power tariff has been rationalised in Chhattisgarh keeping intact the rates for BPL and agriculture consumers and giving relief to high tension customers like railway, coal mines, steel and cement plants, while raising the rates by 3.45 per cent for domestic customers.

The new rates, approved by the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission, will come into effect from next month, Commission Chairman S K Mishra said today.

He told reporters the SEB had proposed 6 per cent increase in tariff to raise additional Rs 469 crore to net total revenue of Rs 3216 crore during current fiscal. The Commission felt the SEB's revenue requirement at Rs 2740 crore and this was possible at the present tariff itself.

The SEB put the input cost at Rs 3.74 per unit, while the Commission fixed it at Rs 3.20, about 25 paise less than last year.

While the rate for BPL customers will remain unchanged, the rate for domestic customers had been raised by 3.45 per cent from Rs 1.74 to Rs 1.80 per unit. For non-domestic LT customers, the rate has been reduced by three paise per unit to Rs 4.36.

There is no change in rates for agriculture pumps upto 5 HP. But for pumps above five HP the rate has been slightly raised from 92 paise to Rs 1.04 per unit.

On an average the low tension tariff has been raised from Rs 2.10 to Rs 2.15 per unit. The rate for high tension customers like railway, coal mines, steel and cement plants has been reduced from Rs 3.86 to Rs 3.79 per unit.

Mr Mishra claimed that keeping in view the importance of steel and related units in the industrialisation of the state, the rate for this sector had been reduced by 20 paise per unit.

He said the rate for plantation, poultry, fisheries, dairy, tissue culture, sericulture and biotechnology, clubbed as agriculture allied, had been fixed at Rs 2.50 per unit.

While directing the SEB to improve efficiency, the Commission asked it to reduce transmission and distribution loss by 2.7 per cent this year from 36.51 per cent and to further reduce it by 3 per cent next year.

One per cent reduction in T and D loss would save Rs 27 crore, Mr Mishra said,adding if the SEB did not reduce the loss then the Commission would be forced to reduce tariff to protect the interests of consumers.

UNI SM-SP DKS RN1953