Electricity rates will not be increased in Uttar Pradesh this time also. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued the tariff order on Thursday. It is being told that in view of the assembly elections to be held in 2022 and the situation arising out of Corona, this decision has been taken. Let us tell you that this is the second year in a row that there has been no increase in the rates.
Other proposals, including slab change, imposition of regulatory surcharge, filed by power companies were also rejected. The companies had played the role of increasing the rates by 10 to 12 percent, claiming slab change and Rs 49827 crore on the consumers. At the same time, consumer organizations were pressing for a reduction in rates in view of the Corona epidemic. Meanwhile, in May, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced not to increase electricity rates. Seeing the stand of the CM, the regulatory commission also made up its mind not to increase.
Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman RP Singh and members KK Sharma and V, on Thursday, on the slab change and the truth-up petition for the year 2019-20, including the annual revenue requirement tariff proposal filed by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation on behalf of the power companies for 2021-22. A full bench of K Srivastava gave its verdict.
The commission said in its order that this year there will be no change in the electricity rates. The present tariff will continue to be applicable. At the same time, after the opposition of the consumer council, the commission rejected the slab change and regulatory assets of the power companies, completely rejecting them. At the same time, a huge amount of more than 49 thousand crores withdrawn by the power companies for the year 2021-22 and True-up 2019-20 has been abolished.
The power companies had proposed Rs 49827 crore as a regulatory asset in the regulatory commission to levy a 10 to 12 percent regulatory surcharge to stop the Covid relief tariff proposal of the consumer council. On which the consumer council raised the demand for dismissal raising legal questions. The Regulatory Commission rejected the proposal of the power companies considering it to be correct.
In the order related to the tariff, the commission has clearly said that even if the meter is installed on the private tubewells of rural farmers, the recovery will be done at the rate of Rs 170 per horsepower per month. The commission has said in its order that the cost of smart meters will not be passed on to the consumers.
Awadhesh Kumar Verma, chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Consumer Council and a member of the state advisory committee, said that the long battle of the consumer council came in handy. Ultimately the Electricity Regulatory Commission rejected the proposal of slab change regulatory surcharge asset and proved that the demand of the consumer council was correct. The consumer council will study the entire tariff and file a review petition for a reduction in electricity rates.
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