News Detail

• The 25% hike in power tariff sought by the MP Western Region Distribution Company was strongly opposed by the people at a hearing organised by the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (MPERC) on Wednesday.People from different walks of life argued in unison that hike in power tariff would lead to power thefts. Projected loss by the company, for which tariff hike is proposed, can be mitigated by reducing the distribution losses, recovery of outstanding dues and controlling the establishment costs of the distribution company, they point out.
• MPERC chairman Rakesh Sahni assured the people opposing the tariff hike at the hearing that the commission had never passed on the hike as proposed by the distribution company. He also clarified that it did not mean that there would be no hike. "Hike will be allowed after looking into all the aspects and listening to the views of company and objectors," said Sahni.Saver MLA Tulsi Silawat alleged that the distribution company (discom) manipulated its account to show losses."The company has intentionally left to include earning of Rs 127 crore from surcharge and revenue of around Rs 50 crore from minimum usage charges collected from the consumers to show it at losses," said Silawat adding that there should not be any hike in tariff as it would ultimately put additional burden on the genuine consumers, who are regularly paying their bills.
• Vijay Agrawal, secretary of MP Industries Association, said that if the discom was not able to manage its losses, then it's the problem of the discom. Why should a consumer pay for the inefficiency of the company?"Expenses of the company are on rise and they are unable to reduce the losses. Instead of putting their house in order, they are punishing the consumers," alleged Agrawal adding that the company was at loss but it reportedly gave 400 units of free electricity per month to its 65,000 employees. It came to around Rs 150 crore per annum and the consumers were made to pay this amount, he alleged.
• Gautam Kothari, president of Pithampur Industrial Association, alleged that every consumer was a thief in the eye of the company. He alleged that company was booking honest consumers for power theft."Laws are such that anyone can be booked for power theft. This year alone, 9 lakh cases were registered by the company on power theft," said Kothari. He demanded that rules should be made simple.MLA Tulsi Silawat also brought to the notice of MPERC several cases in which small consumers and farmers had been booked and sent to jail slapping power theft charges. He claimed that some of the farmers had committed suicide under pressure of manipulate power bills and wrong cases of power theft on them.A farmer, Raghunath Patil, from Burhanpur demanded the MPERC commission that there should not be any discrimination between rural and urban population in matters of electricity supply. "Rural population are given less hours of power supply against the uninterrupted power supply to urban areas. This is against the right to equality ensured by the Constitution," said Patil.

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