Power consumers will have to pay more
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service, December 3
Chandigarh
Domestic as well as industrial and commercial power consumers in Punjab will be charged an enhanced tariff as per the order of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission with the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) asking the Regulatory Commissioner to defer the tariff order by one month.

With the one-month deferment ending on November 7, consumers will not only have to pay a 12.42 per cent increase in their earlier tariff but also the difference of tariff for the period not charged from them along with interest in the balance period of the current financial year.

According to information given by the PSERC under the RTI, the Secretary, PSEB, requested the postponing of the implementation of the tariff order by one month up to November 7. The Regulatory Commission has not taken any decision on the petition.

This, sources said, meant that the board would have no option but to start implementing the power hike and start billing consumers at higher rates. The PSEB petition, which was filed for a limited period, has become infructuous as it was date bound, having asked for time only till November 7.

Implementation of the power hike is also a setback for the Punjab BJP, which had objected to it and demanded that it be withdrawn completely. The BJP state unit still stands for this demand. However, in the absence of any initiative from the state government to subsidise the PSEB for the hiked tariff, the tariff order is binding on the state utility. There is also no legal authority which can overturn the order of the PSERC.

Earlier, the Secretary, Power, had informed the PSEB that the government was reviewing the implementation of the revised tariff order and had instituted a committee (of Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia) to look into the issue of subsidies as well as suggest ways and means to increase resource mobilisation. The PSERC on its part had earlier pointed out that the government could file a petition if it wanted any relaxation in the tariff order.

Meanwhile, according to information taken by Gurnek Singh Brar under the RTI it has been revealed that the PSERC is yet to take notice of delays by the state government in the paying of subsidy in advance to the PSEB for September and October this year.

The PSERC has disclosed that it has not sent any communication in this regard to the PSEB.