Chhattisgarh Hikes Power Tariff by 8.35%: Impact on Consumers

Raipur, Jun 1 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) on Saturday announced an average hike in power tariff by 8.35 per cent for all categories of consumers.

The new tariffs will be effective from June 1, an official said.

The CSERC had not revised the power tariff rates last year.

Talking to PTI, CSERC secretary Sp Shukla said an average hike of 8.35 per cent in power tariff was applicable across all consumer categories.

Power services are managed by three state-run companies for generation, transmission and distribution in the state.

Shukla said the estimated revenue deficit of Rs 2,819 crore at the current tariff for the financial year 2024-25 was approved against Rs 4,420 crore claimed by the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL).

The state government has decided to reimburse Rs 1,000 crore for 2024-25 to reduce the gross revenue deficit of the distribution company.

As a result, the distribution company is estimated to have a revenue deficit of Rs 1,819 crore at the current rate for 2024-25, he said.

The CSERC, in a statement, said the tariff has been increased by 20 paise per unit in all categories of power consumption for domestic and non-domestic consumers.

For example, for the consumption slab below 100 units per month, constituting 64 per cent of total consumers, the tariff has been increased from existing Rs 3.70 to Rs 3.90 per unit.

For agriculture pump connections, the tariff has been increased by 25 paise per unit, and a concession of 20 per cent on energy charges will continue for non-subsidised agriculture pump connections, it said.

A rebate of 5 per cent on energy charges will remain in place for the poha and murmura mills under LV-5 and HV-5 categories, it said.

The tariff for high voltage steel industries has been increased to Rs 25 paise per unit, and the load factory rebate is revised and will not exceed 10 per cent, the CSERC said.

To encourage an environment-friendly transport system, tariffs for electric vehicle charging units have been kept at Rs 6.92 per unit.

The discount in energy charges to hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres in rural and tribal-dominated Surguja (north Chhattisgarh) and Bastar (south Chhattisgarh) areas will continue to be 5 per cent in power tariff.

A 50 per cent rebate on energy charges given on mobile tower installations after April 1, 2019, in the Naxalite-affected areas, has been reduced to 25 per cent, it said.

The rebate of 10 per cent on energy charges to industrial and business activities run by registered women self-help groups (SHGs) will continue, it said.

A 15 per cent rebate on energy charges will continue for defence establishments.

Domestic consumers in the state currently benefit from the half rebate in the electricity bill scheme launched by the previous Congress government.

Slamming the ruling BJP for the hike, Sushil Anand Shukla, the head of the state Congress communication wing, said citizens are bearing the brunt of the state government's financial mismanagement.

"A hike in power tariff will add burden to people. This decision is an atrocity on people. The Vishnu Deo Sai government has been creating problems for citizens from every side. The state government has ended the registry exemption and e-way bill and now hikes the power tariff," he said.

With this hike, electricity has become expensive for domestic and commercial consumers, he said.