DERC must look into demands of private discoms’
PTI
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NEW DELHI, DEC 3: With private power discoms demanding another hike in tariff, the Delhi Chief Secretary, Mr P.K. Tripathi, today appeared sympathetic to their demands and said that DERC should look into the issue so that the companies could sustain their operations.
Replying to questions on the financial difficulties being reported by private discoms, Mr Tripathi said the companies must be given “correct tariff” to run their operations and criticised the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission for not heeding to their demands for hike in rates.
“The power problem in Delhi is not because of the government but due to the failure of the regulator. The regulator wants to lower the tariff. We are facing a crisis as the tariffs have not been raised,” he said.
The DERC last week had served notices on two Reliance Infrastructure-backed discoms BYPL and BRPL asking why their licences should not be suspended for failing to pay huge dues to generation and transmission companies.
The DERC served the notices following a communication from the Delhi Government which asked the regulator to take urgent steps to ensure uninterrupted power supply in Delhi as various generation and transmission companies had threatened to stop electricity supply to the two discoms as they owe around Rs 3,000 crore to these companies.
“Definitely, they (DERC) are solely responsible. If you don’t give the correct tariff, how will the industry run? Then you have to borrow, if anybody borrows, you have to pay interest. If you pay interest, ultimately, it is passed on to the consumer. It is a cycle,” Mr Tripathi told PTI.
The DERC had effected a 22 per cent hike in tariff in September following persistent demand by the discoms. BYPL and BRPL were, however, not satisfied with the hike and demanded further increase in tariff to sustain their operation.
The DERC has given time till December 7 to the two discoms to reply to the notices.
Mr Tripathi held a meeting with the CEOs of all the private discoms in which the companies have elaborated on the problems being faced by them in running their operations.