Reject power hike proposal: YSRCP to SERC

YSR Congress has demanded that the proposal of increasing power tariff by the DISCOMs should be rejected forthwith as the State has projected inflated figures and wants to benefit private players by buying power at higher prices where there is no need.

“The DISCOMs have submitted ARRs to the Electricity Regulatory Commission to increase the power tariff steeply citing flimsy reasons  and to shift the burden to consumers while it has given projections at a very highly inflated rate which does not match to actual figures,” party senior leader Dr MV Mysoora Reddy told reporters at Hyderabad on Wednesday.

The State is shirking from owning the responsibility of the 12,000 million units (mu) purchased at higher prices and wants to shift it to the consumers. He said permission was sought to collect the difference of charges in retrospective effect in the ARR.  

While ONGC and Reliance are in profits and a litigation is on, neither the DISCOMs nor the State have tried to implead in the case but are merely passing the buck, he said. The reasons cited in the ARR to hike the tariff are trivial.

Delay of generation in two power plants Krishnapatnam and Hinduja were mentioned as the reason which is reality is not. The plants are ready. The industrial growth rate was inflated and the purchase of power on short term basis at a higher price was linked to it. "We demand an inquiry into all purchases at higher rate as they are not justified," he said.

The purchases would be to meet the peak load for rabi crops from January to March, the report said, but with the water table depleting, the farmers will not go for a second crop and the demand figure seems to be cooked up. “This apart the hike is needed to meet the daytime peak load from July to December of 2015, the report said which is a fallacy as it is rainy season and hydel power is not taken into consideration,” he said.

"We strongly reject the proposal, which seeks increase of power tariff and to collect the difference of tariff with retrospective effect and demand that the State to reveal the details of the power purchased at higher prices from private parties though it was available at a cheaper price," he said.

The new tariff suggested by the DISCOMs would be Rs 8 per unit for domestic consumers using power beyond 300 units and for commercial segment it is Rs 9.15 per unit, which will be a heavy burden, he said.