Power switch: Good news for consumers
Chittaranjan Tembhekar, TNN 17 October 2009

MUMBAI: Over 42,000 suburban power consumers seeking to shift to Tata Power Corporation (TPC) from Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) can rejoice.
Reason: They will not be charged any extra money (adjustment charge) for tranferring their security deposit from R-infra to TPC.

Also, the consumers will neither require no-objection certificates (NOCs) nor tri-party agreements with R-Infra to shift to TPC. However, all existing R-Infra consumers must pay their dues before shifting. They will also have to pay the wheeling charge (for network use) to only R-infra and not TPC.

Moreover, the changeover consumers will have a choice of selecting meters too. The meters could be either of TPC, R-Infra or of any other private company. It will be a binding on TPC to give connections to these consumers within 30 days from Thursday, October 15.

On Friday, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) laid down these interim guidelines to be followed by TPC, R-Infra and consumers who are aspiring to change their power supplier. These guidelines will be a protocol till the final regulations are put in place.

Shirish Deshpande of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat and several other consumer activists have welcomed the interim protocol issued by MERC chairperson V P Raja