Public may get power tariff
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are likely to get power tariff hike shock from next month, as Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission J&K and Ladakh has completed the entire process.
The proposal for the power tariff was put in public domain for suggestions and feedback and the process has been completed as well including feedback from the Power Development Department (PDD) officials.
It is learnt that the will be submitting its report to the coming days, which will then take call of affect all the hike as per proposal entirely or
On a proposal to hike power tariff, the Jammu Power Development Corporation Limited(JPDCL) has completed the process of meeting with the Commission and the stakeholders under the guidelines of the Regulatory Commission.
According to official sources of the Regulatory Commission, the plans are being finalized to go for an 18 per cent per unit hike of electricity tariff in all categories. Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, the new rates will also be applicable in Ladakh.
As per a senior official of the PDD the department is facing huge loss in revenue and it has become unsustainable to supply power at such low tariffs.
To overcome the situation, the proposal to increase the electricity fare has been placed before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to official sources, in the last financial year, the electricity department bought electricity for 2946 crores, but only 1476 crores revenue was realized from power tariff.
Moreover the department has incurred Rs. 2003 crore in losses from power infrastructure repairs, employees’ salaries and other expenses.
To tide over the burgeoning losses, a proposal to increase the electricity fare by an average of 18 percent has been sent to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission. The hike will increase the revenue of PDD by about Rs 412 crore. In the proposal, electricity has been kept at Rs 1.25 per unit for the families living below the poverty line as per ongoing practice.
In the proposal the power tariff may be raised to Rs.. 2 up to 100 units and Rs. 5 up to 400 units. The rent in the un metered areas was earlier Rs 650 from between one kilowatt to two kilowatts, which is proposed to be hiked upto Rs. 800 per month.
While in the industrial areas getting LT power supply, the rent per kWh was earlier Rs. 3.5 per unit, which may go upto to Rs. 5 per unit.
Federation of Industries, Jammu is also worried by the proposal of hike in power tariff by JPDCL.
FOIJ co-chairman Rajesh Jain pointed out that the proposed power hike shall not only hit the existing industry but also send wrong signal to the upcoming investors for which government is putting all its efforts.
FOIJ at various fora raised his voice against the proposed power tariff hike.
It seems as if local existing industry is being deliberately targeted by proposing the hike.
